


Operation: Trials & Tribulations

by ColoradoPeculiar



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Being an Idiot, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrienette endgame, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Puns, Character Development, Competition, Conflicting Feelings, Don't say I didn't warn you, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Identity Reveal, Gabriel has a plan, I love that tag, Islands, Like really slow, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Minor Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Multi, Nathalie Sancoeur|Mayura Identity Reveal, Not Canon Compliant, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Obliviousness, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Really bad timing, Slow Burn, Wouldn't be an MLB fic without obliviousness, You must have the puns, long fic, post-reveal, pre-reveal, set post S3, she always is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 73,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26982334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColoradoPeculiar/pseuds/ColoradoPeculiar
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng not only has to deal with now being the Guardian, but Chat Noir growing distant and her own conflicting feelings between Luka and Adrien. It seemed to be just her luck that as she was trying to move on, Adrien was trying more than ever to grow even closer to her. She should've never told him about her love life. A welcoming break comes in a form of a competition, hosted none other than Gabriel Agreste taking place on his private island. Glad to leave Paris behind, Marinette packs her bags and sets her eyes on the prize. Adrien Agreste is trying hard to move on from Ladybug when his father forces him to go on this trip. Although he is worried about Paris, Adrien thinks this will give him the opportunity to move on for good. So, he pushes Ladybug out of his mind and focuses on getting to know Marinette better and to help her with her love problems (and maybe get some advice from the everyday Ladybug in return), to see Kagami in a romantic light, and to take home that prize. Little do they know that this prize comes with consequences that neither had ever imagined.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste & Alya Césaire & Luka Couffaine & Marinette & Nino Lahiffe & Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Luka Couffaine, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Luka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Plagg, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste|Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe & Luka Couffaine, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tikki
Comments: 60
Kudos: 92





	1. Prologue

It would be wrong to say that Nathalie Sancoeur didn't like her job. She got to work with the man that she loved, trying to bring her best friend back. She got an adrenaline rush from being Mayura, something she was getting to do a lot more often now that they had fixed the Peacock Miraculous. She also got to watch over Adrien when Gabriel was too busy with being Hawkmoth.

But moments like these really made her regret this job.

"Sir." Nathalie knocked on Gabriel's door. When he didn't answer she eased it open carefully. 

There he was, Gabriel Agreste, the love of her life, standing in front of the painting of her best friend, his wife, and the person they were trying day in and day out to bring back.

"I failed again, Nathalie." He spoke, not turning around. He could just sense that she was there. She always was. What an amazing assistant.

"Not exactly, sir." Nathalie walked over to him, the tablet in his hands.

"What do you mean Nathalie? I've yet to acquire the Miraculouses." Gabriel put his face in his hands.

"Well," Nathalie tried hard not to smile. "when you akumatized Mlle. Tsurugi this afternoon into the Ice Queen she had sealed off all entryways and exits to the school, but Ladybug and Chat Noir still showed up." She told him.

Gabriel finally turned to Nathalie.

"What are you saying?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir must have been in the building beforehand." Gabriel's eyes went wide.

"You're right Nathalie!" He told her. Then the excitement Nathalie very rarely saw on the man's face disappeared. "Chat Noir could've used his cataclsym."

"I didn't see them enter." Nathalie told him. She had been positioned outside the school, ready to jump in when Hawkmoth told her too. 

A wicked grin spread over Gabriel's face. 

"You're absolutely right Nathalie. Get me a list of everyone who was in the building." He told her.

"I already did sir, here you are." Nathalie handed him the tablet. Being where she was during the battle had its advantages.

Gabriel scanned the list greedily before his eyes flickered back up to Nathalie.

"My son is on this list Nathalie." He told her, his voice dangerously lacking emotion.

"Y-yes. But you've seen him and Chat Noir in the same place before, h-haven't you?" She asked nervously, fearing her boss's temper.

Gabriel just hummed.

"If only I could remember who I've akumatized." He muttered. "That would make the list go down a considerable amount, now wouldn't it?"

"I'm sure I could track down the earliest akuma attacks." Gabriel waved off Nathalie.

"No need. I have another idea. Nathalie, I need you to check up on the old beach house." This made Nathalie blink in shock.

"Are you sure sir? You haven't been back to the beach house since..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"I know Nathalie, but if we want to figure out who Ladybug and Chat Noir are, going back there will be necessary." He looked back at the list and grinned. "If everything goes to plan, we will know who Ladybug and Chat Noir are in 63 days."


	2. Day Zero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get some bonding time between Mari, Adrien, Alya Nino, Luka and Kagami!

Marinette sighed as she exited the school building. It had been a close call today, too close of a call. Ice Queen had nearly gotten a hold of her Miraculous. If Chat Noir hadn't shown up when he had....

Marinette shuddered at the near thought of it. 

"Girl?" Alya asked Marinette.

"Sorry," Marinette smiled nervously. "I'm just kind of out of it today." 

Alya gave her a sympathetic smile and looped her arm around her shoulders.

"Is it because of Luka?" She asked softly. Marinette shook her head.

"No." 

"Then what is it?" Alya asked gently.

Marinette froze, what was she supposed to say? 'I'm actually Ladybug and I'm worried about Chat's and I's partnership because he has stopped calling me nicknames and is growing more distant everyday?' Yeah, she didn't think so either.

"It's nothing Alya." She murmured. "Don't worry about it." The frown on Alya's face proved that she didn't believe her best friend whatsoever, but she let it go.

"Alright. Hey, you want to go grab Kagami and we can all go hang out?" Alya lowered her voice. "I think being akumatized again took a toll on her." Marinette nodded and walked over to where Kagami was.

She was alone, sitting on the steps, faking playing a game on her phone. Marinette knew that she didn't have any games on her phone. 

Smiling a little bit she started to walk over to Kagami only stopping when Adrien walked over to her as well. 

Marinette shook her head, clearing the thoughts and emotions that ran through her.

 _'Kagami is my friend, Adrien is my friend. Kagami and Adrien are still just friends, for whatever reason.'_ She thought grimly. _'I wonder why-?'_

"Marinette!" A voice shook her out of her thoughts. She turned around to see Luka jogging towards her. 

"Oh hey Luka!" She told him, smiling broadly. 

"Hi, I'm glad that you're okay." He said moving in for a hug. Marinette froze, momentarily surprised by the contact, but hugged him back.

"I'm glad you're okay, too. Not exactly how you thought band practice would go, huh?" She asked as they pulled apart.

Luka chuckled.

"Not exactly." He said. "But I'm glad that I got to see everybody." Marinette couldn't help but flush. She had a feeling that when he said "everybody" he meant _her._

"Y-yeah." She told him, smiling softly. "Hey! I was thinking about grabbing a drink with Kagami, Adrien, and Alya, wanna join?" She asked him. Luka nodded.

"That sounds great!" He looked at Marinette concerned. "But are you sure that you can handle Adrien and Kagami?" Luka asked her. 

Marinette nodded.

"They aren't dating yet, Lord knows why, but it's only a matter of time. Both of them are such good friends of mine, I should get used to it." She told him, smiling softly at the pair as Adrien offered his hand out to Kagami.

"I'm proud of you Mari." Luka said, squeezing her shoulder gently, but then dropping his hands to his sides. 

"Thanks." She said and walked over to the pair.

"And then she-oh hey Marinette!" Adrien said, giving her a large smile. Confidence welled up in the girl. 

"Hi Adrien, Hello Kagami. A few friends of ours are going to be heading out for a drink, would you like to come?" She asked, smiling at the two.

"Are you going?" Kagami asked hopefully. Marinette nodded.

"Of course!" Kagami and Adrien exchanged looks and Marinette tried to keep her emotions in check. 

"What our parents don't know, won't hurt them. School technically isn't over for the day. I'll ask my driver to cover for us." With that Adrien winked and headed over to the man they had decided to call "Gorilla". Not to his face of course.

Marinette turned towards Kagami. 

"You feeling alright?" She asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kagami replied, not meeting Marinette's eyes. Marinette put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"It's okay to not be okay." She told her, then grimaced.

"That makes no sense." Kagami told her, finally looking at her. Then she gave the bluenette a small smile. "Thanks Marinette."

"No problem." 

"Okay, I talked to Gorilla and he'll cover for us." Adrien said walking back over to the girls.

"That's great!" Marinette cheered.

"I'm not sure how long though." Adrien said, biting his lip nervously. Marinette just waved him off.

"Well, we'll just have to make the most out of our time." She said, looping her arm through Kagami's. 

"Who else is going to be there?" Adrien asked, walking beside Marinette.

"Alya, probably Nino, Luka , and us three." She told him.

 _'Good, this is good, you're not stuttering. Or fumbling your words.'_ She inwardly cheered. 

"Sweet." Adrien shot her a smile and a wink. She felt her heart skip a beat.

 _'No! Bad Marinette! You're supposed to be getting over him, remember? He's told you himself! He's in love with another girl!'_ She scolded herself.

"Y-yeah. I-it s-should be great!" She smiled nervously. 

"Hey! Ready to get going?" Alya asked the trio. Kagami nodded.

"Yes, I'm not sure how long Gorilla will cover for us." She told the group. 

"Then what are we standing around here for? Let's go grab some juice!" Alya chirped. Nino came up and threw his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Hello dudes and dudettes. What's up?" He asked the group.

"We're going to go grab a drink and you're coming with us." Alya told him.

"I am?" Nino asked, his arms raised.

"Yes, you are." Alya stated matter-of-factually. "Now where should we go?"

"There's actually a smoothie bar a little ways from here." Luka spoke up. "We could go there." The group nodded in agreement.

"Smoothies will be healthy enough for a model right?" Adrien asked.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Kagami told him.

"And even if smoothies aren't healthy, I'm positive you wouldn't die from ignoring your regimen for once in your life." Alya remarked. 

"I don't know, what would my father say?" Adrien smirked. An expression that did wonders on Marinette's heart, a fact that annoyed her all too much.

"My perfect son Adrien, having a smoothie with his friends? How dare he?" Nino mocked Gabriel Agreste in a deep voice. "Next thing you know he'll be abandoning his studies and getting piercings!" 

"I, um, already have piercings, actually." Adrien said meekly. 

"What?" Nino exclaimed. "You do? When?" Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, I got them for modeling actually." He told them nervously.

"Why don't you ever wear earrings then?" Nino asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Wearing earrings for modeling is one thing, wearing them to express myself is another." He shrugged. "He's not exactly keen on boys wearing earrings casually, no offense Luka."

"Don't worry about it. I've learned to deal with the hate of having ear piercings and painted nails." Luka shrugged him off. Marinette couldn't help but frown. 

"You shouldn't get hate for that." She muttered.

"What was that, Marinette?" Kagami asked from beside her. All eyes trained on her.

"You shouldn't get hate for being you, Luka. It's not fair." Marinette said again. 

"Life isn't fair." Luka shrugged. "You're always going to get hate, what's important is to not let the hate bother you." He told them.

"Haters gonna hate." Nino said, nodding solemnly. Marinette and Alya groaned. Adrien snickered and Luka smiled. 

"I don't get it." Kagami said, her brows furrowing. 

Cue the collective gasp from Adrien.

"You don't-?" He couldn't finish the sentence, his jaw dropped. Marinette held back her giggle.

 _'Cute.'_ She thought. Kagami's laugh cut through Marinette like a knife. _'That look isn't for you.'_ She reminded herself painfully. Turning away she caught Luka's gaze.

 _'Marinette...'_ He seemed to be saying. 

_'I'm fine.'_ She mouthed. He gave her a look that he didn't believe her. 

"Not even We're Never Ever Getting Back Together?" As always, Adrien was the one who helped Marinette return to reality. Kagami shook her head, giggling a little bit. "Okay now that is a crime." He then turned to Luka. "Hey do you think we could stop by tomorrow? Kagami has never heard a Taylor Swift song and she needs to be cultured." Adrien asked. Luka looked at him curiously.

"I never pegged you to be a Taylor Swift fan, Adrien. I thought you liked Jagged Stone." He told him, raising his eyebrows. Adrien blushed.

"W-well, I grew up on all sorts of music!" He said, his face still red.

"Give him a break man, for the longest time his only friend was Chloe, of course he would know Taylor Swift songs." Nino told the group. Luka smiled.

"Chloe as in Chloe Bourgeois?" Luka asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You know her?" Adrien asked. Luka shrugged.

"Her reputation precedes her." He told Adrien, then turned to Marinette and winked. She felt her face flush.

 _'Good, this is good. As long as you're getting over Adrien.'_ She told herself. Normally, she wouldn't be proud about her liking two boys, but in this case, she believed that the sooner she got over him, the better. 

"Marinette, what have you told him?" Adrien addressed her. No anger in his voice, just humor. 

"W-well, I-I, um." She felt Kagami pinch her gently, not enough to hurt her, but enough to help her in clearing her head. "It's Chloe, no matter what she'll make herself known. I was just warning Luka about her." She shot at Adrien.

"I don't understand how you're still friends with her, Adrien. Do you not remember what she did? She aided Hawkmoth!" Alya told him. "Even after she was de-akumatized!" 

"Look, the only reason I'm still friends with Chloe is because I'm afraid of what will happen if I'm not." Adrien said, looking down at the floor.

Marinette glanced at him, concerned.

"Adrien," she started to say, but he just shrugged and smiled.

"It's alright, Marinette. I know that Chloe isn't the nicest person and I don't blame you for complaining about her." He smiled softly at Marinette making her heart do flips. "Lord knows I've done it." He said. Nino let out a dramatic gasp.

"Adrien Agreste? Talking bad about somebody?" He shook his head in disbelief. "First you ditch your bodyguard, then you admit to piercings, and now you're talking bad about Chloe?" He narrowed his eyes and looked Adrien up and down. "You better not be Felix." He said.

Adrien put his hands up.

"I promise I'm the Adrien Agreste."

"Oh yeah?" Nino crossed his arms, "Tell me something only Adrien would know." Nino asked him. Adrien smirked. He walked over to Nino and whispered in his ear. "O-okay man! You're the real one."

"What'd he tell you?" Alya asked. 

"N-n-nothing!" Nino sputtered, his face bright red.

"Oh look! We're here!" Luka said, holding the door open for everyone. 

"Thanks Luka!" Marinette said brightly.

"No problem Mari." 

They entered the smoothie bar, a rush of cool air welcome on the hot late June day.

The smoothie bar had a color scheme of lime green, light pink, and a soft pastel yellow.

Luka walked right up to the white counter, decorated with all sorts of fruits and started talking to the girl behind it. 

Marinette followed him hesitantly. 

"What do you want Mari? My treat!" He told her once she arrived.

"Oh!" She said, taken aback. "Well, I'll have the" her eyes scanned the menu, "Berry Blast?" She asked.

"Good choice." Luka commented. "Why don't you find a table for the six of us, yeah?"

Marinette nodded then walked over to where a table of six was set up, two chairs on the end, two chairs on either side, each with lime green cushions and a white wooden back. She sat down on one side, looking at her friends.

"Marinette!" A small voice said. She looked down into her purse at Tikki.

"Tikki! Stay low!" She whispered.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Tikki asked her.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She whispered.

"Well, you-" Tikki was interrupted by someone coming over and sitting next to Marinette.

"This is really cool, isn't it?" Adrien asked her.

Marinette could feel her cheeks warm up.

 _'Stop.'_ She scolded herself, annoyed.

"Y-yeah!" She said nervously. 

"I'm glad we all get to hangout like this." He told her. "It's not often I'm able to hang out with my friends." He smiled at her brightly. "But thanks to you, not only is Kagami feeling better," They both glanced over to where the fencer was talking with Alya, "but both of us get the chance to get out of the house." Adrien's gaze turned back to Marinette, making her heart flip. "The everyday Ladybug strikes again." He gave her a wink.

"I-I, uh, T-tank, no I mean, t-thank y-you!" She stuttered giving him a lovesick grin.

"Anytime Mari."

Her heart leapt at the nickname.

How in the world was she supposed to get over him when he did things like _that?_

"Alya was telling me about the newest update to the Ladyblog, Adrien, have you seen it?" Kagami asked, taking a seat next to Adrien at one of the heads of the table. 

Oh right, that's why she's supposed to get over him.

"O-oh!" Adrien rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, I've seen it." It seemed to Marinette that his cheeks were dusted lightly with pink.

She shook it off.

It was probably because he was talking to Kagami.

"What's the post?" Marinette asked as Luka walked over to the table, sitting down in the other end seat, next to Mari and passed out the four drinks.

"Alya and Nino insisted that they pay by themselves." He told them.

"Well so did I!" Adrien protested. Luka waved him off.

"You weren't fast enough to swipe your card, Nino was." He said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Hmph." Adrien groaned before taking a sip of his smoothie. 

Marinette tried her smoothie. It tasted like strawberries, with a hint of blueberries. She smiled before taking a larger drink.

"I'm just saying!" Alya exclaimed as her and Nino walked up to the table, Nino carrying the drinks.

Alya sat across from Adrien, Nino across from Marinette.

"What's up?" Luka asked.

"Alya here," Nino started to say, pointing his thumb at his girlfriend, "thinks that Ladybug and Chat Noir have been secretly dating." 

Marinette choked and erupted into a coughing fit. 

"Woah girl, are you okay?" Alya asked as Luka reached over to pat her on the back. 

"T-that's quite an assumption, Alya, what makes you say that?" Marinette asked, once she had calmed down. 

"You didn't let Nino finish." Alya playfully glared at her boyfriend. "I think they _were_ dating." 

"Were?" Kagami asked. Marinette fidgeted nervously.

"Yes, _were_. It's no secret that Chat has had a thing for Ladybug." If Alya noticed how her two best friends' flinched, she didn't say anything. "All of the nicknames and the flirts and whatnot."

Marinette let out a long heavy unintentional sigh. 

_'Oh how I miss it.'_ She thought wistfully.

"Mari? You okay?" Luka asked.

How come he was always able to pick up on her mood so easily?

"Fine. Go on Alya." She flashed a small smile that she could tell Luka saw through. 

"Well, did anyone notice today how they acted?" She asked, glancing around the table. Both Nino and Luka shook their heads. Marinette and Adrien looked down in their laps. "No nicknames, no flirts, and the only puns Chat Noir told was directed towards the akuma. No offense Kagami."

"None taken." She said waving it off. "So, you think that they're going through a breakup?"

Alya nodded.

"Either that or maybe Ladybug rejected Chat Noir, but either way it seems like he's getting over her."

A myriad of emotions ran through Marinette that she didn't quite understand. 

Shouldn't she be happy?

Wasn't Chat Noir getting over her something that she wanted?

So why did she feel so....bleh?

"Wouldn't Chat Noir getting over Ladybug strengthen their relationship?" Luka asked.

 _'You would think.'_ Marinette thought wryly.

"I mean, if he was over her, then there wouldn't be any awkward 'you like me, but I don't like you' encounters, you know?" Luka explained. 

Alya nodded.

"That's exactly what I thought! If Ladybug truly didn't have any romantic feelings for Chat Noir, then she would be pleased with this!" Alya exclaimed. "But instead, today they were tense in their fighting and Ladybug's mood seemed to droop, if only for a moment, whenever Chat didn't call her a nickname."

It was true. 

They had been off balance ever since she became the Guardian. 

She desperately hoped it would go away.

Marinette felt Tikki nudge up against her leg in her purse, giving her silent encouragement. Marinette smiled slightly, she was always there for her.

"That's why I think that they're either going through a breakup or Ladybug has hidden feelings for Chat Noir." Alya finished.

"It would make a lot of sense." Kagami commented. "Ladybug liking Chat. When I worked alongside her they had this bond. They worked in perfect harmony to each other."

Marinette gulped. 

Her being shipped with Chat Noir was nothing new. Neither was speculation if their relationship went beyond being partners. She was best friends with Alya for goodness sake! Most times, she could shake it off with an eye-roll and a small smirk because she knew better than anyone what Ladybug's and Chat Noir's relationship was.

But now....

He had become so closed off, it was like she couldn't get through to him. 

And she utterly despised it.

Alya was partly wrong. 

Her and Chat Noir weren't going through a breakup.

But they were going through a rough patch. 

Even if he was trying to get over her, he didn't have to be so distant! It wasn't like he was cold exactly, but there was an unbreakable wall between them now. 

Just because he was trying to get rid of his romantic feelings for her, he didn't have to get rid of his platonic feelings for her. 

She didn't want him to stop loving her, she just wanted him to stop being in love with her.

There was a difference and she was afraid that Chat Noir didn't know that difference. 

"Can we not talk about this anymore?" The question broke her out of her thoughts. 

Marinette turned to Adrien. He looked just as uncomfortable as she did.

"Sure man." Nino said, raising his eyebrows at the model. 

"S-sorry." He said, a blush rising to his cheeks. "It's just that..." He trailed off.

Marinette looked at him, concerned. 

_'Is he okay?'_

"I'm close to Chat Noir and so I feel a little uncomfortable..."

 _'Wait, he's friends with Chat?'_ Marinette thought with a jolt as Alya gasped. 

Marinette quickly scanned her memory to see if Chat had ever mentioned anything about hanging out with Adrien.

"Can you get me an interview?" Alya asked, ever the reporter. Adrien chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do." He told her.

"Oh thank you Adrien! Marinette already got me that interview with Ladybug. If I-"

"Wait, you know Ladybug?" Adrien asked, turning to Marinette.

"Y-yeah!" She sputtered out. "I, uh, I know her." She nearly cringed at how high her voice was.

"That's..." Adrien's look was one that Marinette couldn't place."cool." He sat back in his chair. Marinette could tell that he had wanted to say something other than 'cool.'

"Yeah, I guess." She said softly.

"So do you two know what's going on?" Alya asked the pair excitedly.

Marinette shook her head.

"Believe me, I wish I did." She muttered. 

Never in her life did she wish that she could read her partner's mind more than now. 

She just wanted to talk with him, but she couldn't, he sped off whenever the fight ended and during patrol they split up. 

_'He's acting like I did, in the beginning.'_ She realized with a jolt. 

In the beginning, she had liked Chat Noir, sure, but he annoyed her to no end and she thought he flirted with every girl he met.

It wasn't until the Glaciator fight when she started to truly see him.

After that, she had made it a goal to always be there for him. Even more so than she was already.

They had become not only partners, but best friends. Inseparable pieces. Two halves of the same whole. Even if the whole wasn't romantic, they still completed each other.

Once Ladybug turned into the Guardian, that had all gone down the drain. 

She had hoped that he had stopped with the nicknames and flirts because she was the Guardian now and he saw her as more important.

Which wasn't true, but it was a more pleasant thought than the truth.

"Anyway," Nino said loudly, breaking Marinette out of her trance. "what time should we head over tomorrow, Luka?" He asked.

Luka shrugged.

"Just come home with Jules after school."

"I can bail Kagami and Adrien out of fencing!" Marinette pipped up, pushing Chat Noir to the back of her mind. 

"Thanks Marinette." Kagami told her, smiling a real smile.

"Of course!"

"You're the best." Adrien reached over and squeezed her shoulder. She blushed lightly, but turned to him and smiled.

"Alright then, it's settled, Alya and I will come home with Juleka after school, Marinette will get Adrien and Kagami and then follow us and we'll be able to show her Taylor Swift."

"If we're showing her Taylor Swift, then we have to show her Jagged Stone too, right Mari?" Luka asked. 

"Y-yeah." She said, turning to stare into his intense gaze.

Her heart picked up and she silently cheered herself on. 

The sooner she got over Adrien, the better.

"Great! I can't wait, it's gonna be a blast!" Adrien remarked, grinning like a little kid. 

Marinette's heart didn't slow down one bit as she took in his expression. 

She nearly groaned.

Why, oh why was this so hard?

She knew that she needed to get over him.

It would be the best for her, for Luka, for Kagami, even for Adrien himself.

Then, Marinette could truly be a supportive friend and happy!

So why is it so hard to get over Adrien Agreste?

"Just classical music." Kagami said, making Marinette tune back to the conversation. Nino's jaw dropped.

"Okay, tomorrow, we're going on a music binge." He said excitedly. "Jagged Stone, Taylor Swift, "

"Clara Nightingale!" Marinette interjected excitedly.

"Clara Nightingale, I'll show her some of my beats too." Nino winked. 

"Sounds good." Luka said smiling. 

"Have you written any new songs?" Adrien asked.

Luka caught Marinette's eye briefly and she blushed heavily.

"Yeah, I'm currently working on a few things." He told the group.

As Marinette turned away she caught Alya's raised eyebrows.

She quickly took a long drink of her smoothie, wanting to avoid her gaze.

"Maybe you'll share them?" The ever-oblivious Adrien asked. 

"Uh, it's not quite done yet." Luka said. Marinette could've sworn she heard him mumble something under his breath about it being for her only.

Marinette couldn't help but flush and smiled giddily. 

As if she needed new reasons as to why to get over Adrien and start dating Luka.

So why couldn't she?

I mean sure, her heart raced whenever she was around him, and he made her smile until it hurt multiple times, and she blushed whenever he complimented her.

But she did that with Adrien too.

And she didn't want to start something with Luka if her heart still beated for Adrien, that wouldn't be fair to her or him and it would only end in pain. 

Luka didn't deserve that.

Nobody did. 

"Oh okay. Do you have a karaoke machine?" Adrien asked excitedly.

"Yeah, why?" Luka asked. Adrien grinned.

"What better way to show Kagami Taylor Swift than karaoke?"

"Oh no." Nino groaned.

Alya laughed. "You? Singing Taylor Swift?" She said chuckling. Adrien's face flushed. 

"She's a good artist." He muttered.

"What's your favorite album?" Alya asked, smirking. Adrien's face only turned more red.

"I love them all." He muttered. Marinette could barely hear him.

"What was that?" Alya asked again.

"All of them!" Adrien exclaimed.

Alya and Nino roared with laughter. Luka chuckled a bit. Kagami looked confused and Marinette just felt bad.

She didn't like seeing her crush uncomfortable.

She had to help him!

"I personally like all of her stuff." She piped up. Alya and Nino stopped laughing and stared at Marinette. "What? Each album has a distinct personality."

"Exactly! Thank you Mari!" Adrien said, throwing an arm around her casually. "See? She gets it." 

Marinette's mind could barely compute what was happening.

Adrien had his arm around her!

 _Adrien_ had his arm around her!

"What type of musician is she?" Kagami asked. 

Right, Kagami.

 _'Get ahold of yourself Marinette.'_ She scolded herself. 

"Well, she used to do country, but now she does pop."

"I'm surprised that you've never heard her stuff." Luka mused.

"Like I was saying earlier, Mother only allowed me to listen to classical music, much less English pop or country." Kagami said. 

"Well, starting tomorrow that will have been changed!" Adrien said excitedly, his arm still around Marinette.

Oh, did it feel so natural to be with him like this. 

"I can show you the world." Adrien sang, winking at Kagami. 

Marinette felt her stomach drop.

 _'Just. Friends.'_ She thought and scooted a little ways away from Adrien so he took his arm back.

He looked at her briefly with a worried expression on his face. She gave him a small smile. He gave her a genuine one in return. 

"Disney too?" Alya asked. 

"You can't blame me for being cultured." Adrien shot at her.

"What's your favorite Disney movie?" Marinette asked.

 _'I wonder if a movie night on my balcony would be a good- NO! Marinette! Stop! Don't picture Adrien! Picture Luka! You and Luka remember? That's the endgame!'_ She thought, panicked that she couldn't stop her thoughts from spiraling. 

"Aristocats." He said without a second's hesitation with a grin so wide, it got her heart to do flips.

She did that, her! Marinette! Got Adrien to smile like _that!_

Oh no, this wasn't helping. 

"C-cool!" She said, smiling nervously.

"What's yours?" He asked her. She thought for a moment. 

"Probably, Mulan!" She answered after a few moments of consideration.

"Let's get down to business! To defeat the Huns!" Adrien started to sing.

"Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons?" Marinette sang on her own.

"You're the saddest bunch I've ever met." Adrien sang.

"And you can bet before we're through." Marinette sang.

"Mister, I'll make a man out of you!" They sang together, in perfect harmony.

Adrien laughed and Marinette had to chuckle.

"Yeah that's definitely a classic. You'd like it Kagami." He turned to the fencer, who was looking rather downcast. 

Marinette felt guilt well up inside of her. 

She had promised herself when Chat had stopped calling her M'lady that if _he_ was making an effort to get over her, she would do the same only with Adrien. Now here she was doing Disney duets with him.

Ugh, why was he making this so hard?

"Yeah maybe. What's it about?"

"It's about a young girl going undercover as a man in the army. It's amazing." Marinette said, screaming _'sorry'_ with her eyes.

"It sounds good." Kagami smiled at her, making her know that she was forgiven. 

"We'll have to watch it sometime." Adrien told her. Marinette felt a lump in her throat. Was he asking her out? He totally was asking her out. 

Marinette tried to take another sip of her drink to find that it was empty.

Great, now how was she supposed to hide her downcast face?

"You're parents won't mind, right Mari?" Adrien asked.

"Huh?" She was too shocked to even blush at the nickname.

"If Kagami and I came over to watch Mulan sometime!" Marinette's eyes grew as wide as saucers. 

"Uhhh, um, I, uh." She couldn't compute with anything anymore. Glancing behind her, she could see the disappointment in Kagami's eyes. 

Honestly?

She felt bad.

She knew that Adrien could be oblivious, but this was a whole new matter. 

Kagami nodded her head ever so slightly, letting her know it was okay.

"Yeah, sure." She finally answered, feeling bad. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Alya's shocked look.

"Great!" Adrien said cheerfully. "We'll have to plan it sometime!" He told her.

Marinette only nodded, not trusting herself to speak. 

Adrien's smiled disappeared as he pulled out his phone. Turning to Kagami he told her:

"Gorilla told me that he can't cover for us anymore." Kagami nodded.

"I'll meet you all tomorrow for that karaoke session." She told the group as Adrien helped her up. "We can talk about that movie night tomorrow when you bail us out, Marinette." She told the girl.

Marinette nodded.

"Sounds good." She watched them, forlorn, as they walked out of the cafe aimlessly chatting. 

She could never have that with Adrien.

"Okay now that they're gone can we talk about what happened back there?" Alya said not a moment after they left.

"Alya!" Nino exclaimed.

"What?" She asked. "We all know the truth." She told her boyfriend before turning to Marinette, who was focusing on her lap. "You alright Mari?" She asked softly.

Marinette swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She said not mustering up the energy to smile. 

"Marinette, he doesn't deserve you." Alya told her standing up to go and hug her.

"Thanks Alya." She whispered as she returned the hug.

"Anytime girl."

"I love Adrien, he's my best bud, but" Nino shook his head. "I'm sorry Marinette."

"It's fine, really." She said blinking the now-forming tears out of her eyes. 

"He just, can't see what's in front of him sometimes." Nino said shaking his head.

"Nino, I promise you, it's okay. It's not his fault that he's sheltered." She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. It was. "Now, I've got to go." Without another word she nearly bolted out of the cafe.

"Marinette!" Tikki exclaimed. 

"Not now." She told her, wiping her tears away. 

Luckily, because the smoothie bar was near the school, it was also near her house.

She ran up to her room only giving her parents a quick "hi" and "bye."

She flopped down on her chaise, trying hard not to cry anymore than she already had.

"Marinette." Tikki flew by her worried.

"I'm fine Tikki." Marinette choked out. "I'm fine."

_'I'll be fine, I'm okay, this is better for everyone anyway.'_


	3. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A good old boat party and an important conversation.

"Marinette!" Tikki's voice could barely be heard over the sound of her sewing machine. "Marinette!" Tikki called again.

"What is it Tikki?" Marinette turned off her machine.

"You're going to be late! The fencing class finishes in two minutes!" Tikki told her worriedly.

"What? No, it ends in," Marinette glanced at the clock on her computer, "TWO MINUTES? Come on, Tikki, we have to go!" Marinette hurriedly rushed around the room in an attempt to get ready.

"That's what I was trying to tell you." Tikki sighed. "What were you working on that caused you to become distracted anyway? You're normally on top of things when it comes to anything Adrien-related." Tikki remarked.

Marinette shot her kwami a glare.

"I was working on a peace-making gift." Marinette told her kwami.

"For who?" Tikki asked. "Adrien?"

"No, it's for Chat." After her pity party yesterday, Marinette had formulated a plan in her mind. 

Maybe she couldn't do anything about the Adrien vs Luka battle her emotions were in constantly, but the rift between her and Chat Noir's relationship? She could definitely do something about that.

"Are you sure that's a good idea Marinette? I mean if he's trying to get over you-."

"It'll be fine, Tikki!" Marinette waved her kwami off. "Now come on! Let's go!"

Tikki flew into Marinette's purse and Marinette nearly bolted out of her house and to the school.

There, Adrien and Kagami were looking out for Marinette.

Her heart leapt when she realized that they weren't engaged in serious conversation like she thought they should be.

Was Adrien not interested...?

_ 'NO. Don't go down that road. Even if he's not interested in Kagami, he's not interested in _ you  _ either.'  _ She chastised herself.

"Marinette!" Adrien called, waving her over. She slowed her pace to an easy jog.

"Hello Marinette." Kagami greeted her once she joined the pair. "I hope you have a plan for bailing us out." Marinette smirked.

"You're supposed to go home with Adrien after school today, right?" She asked.

"Yes." Kagami confirmed. 

"Well, wouldn't it be a tragedy if Adrien's bodyguard got caught up in so much traffic that he couldn't make it to the house on time?" 

"A huge one." The corners of Kagami's mouth lifted, but soon fell. "But how are you planning on getting him to cover for us?"

"We've done it before." Adrien smiled.

"We might be getting to our limit." Kagami told him.

"Relax. I got bribery." She opened up her purse and pulled something red and black out of it. 

Adrien's jaw dropped. 

"Is that a-?"

"Limited edition Ladybug action figure? Complete with a spinning yo-yo and dialogue? Why yes, yes it is." Marinette couldn't help but feel prideful at Adrien's flabbergasted expression.

"How did you get  _ that? _ " He nearly shrieked. " _ I _ don't even have one!" 

"Are you a fan of Ladybug, Adrien?" Kagami teased.

Was it Marinette's imagination, or was Adrien  _ freaking _ Agreste blushing at the mention of her alter-ego's name?

"Well yeah! Who wouldn't be?" He said softly, smiling a bit. "I mean, she does so much for us! She fights against Hawkmoth, yes, but she also helps out civilians as well!" With every passing word his smile only grew and his voice filled with passion and admiration. Marinette could feel her face become red. "She's so brave, too! And smart! And-." It was as if someone had doused the fire in Adrien with a bucket of water. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground. "Let's go." His voice was empty as he trudged away.

_ 'What the heck was that?'  _ Marinette thought, shooting a concerned glance at Adrien. He was frowning, an expression Marinette very rarely saw. It worried her.  _ 'Why would he talk about Ladybug like that? He did a total one-eighty! I wasn't rude to him was I? What did I do now?' _

"I'll go talk to Gorilla." Marinette said softly. Adrien only nodded, looking down at the floor.

A minute later, Adrien, Marinette, and Kagami were headed to the Couffaine houseboat. 

Adrien walked ahead of the girls, the three of them settling in an uncomfortable silence. 

Marinette wanted to bring up what had happened back there, but it was very obvious that Adrien didn't want to talk about it. Still, she couldn't help but worry. 

She glanced over at Kagami. She was closer to Adrien after all, but to her surprise, she gestured for Marinette to go talk to him.

That was odd, Kagami was obviously aware of her crush on Adrien yet she was allowing her to comfort him. But why would she? Wouldn't Kagami want to use this opportunity to get closer to Adrien? Why was she giving Marinette extra chances? Was it because Marinette might actually have a chance?

Oh great, now she sounded paranoid.

The important thing was making sure Adrien was okay. She had to push her feelings aside and make sure that her  _ friend  _ was doing okay because she knew he would do the same for her.

Giving her an appreciative smile, she walked over to Adrien and took a deep breath, summoning all her courage.

"Hey." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

"Huh?" Adrien obviously was deep in thought. "Oh hey."

"Are," she hesitated, "are you okay?" 

He gave her a smile that Marinette knew was fake. It was the same one that used to be plastered across her walls. 

"Why wouldn't I be?" He tried to sound lighthearted, but Marinette could tell there was a heaviness that he was attempting to mask. 

"I know that's a lie, Adrien. What's wrong?" Marinette asked. A part of her was proud that she was talking to Adrien without stuttering, another part was scolding herself because being this close to him emotionally would not be good for her heart, but most of all she was worried.

"Nothing, Marinette. Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm fine! Cat's honor!" He placed his right hand on his heart and raised the left one in the air.

_ 'Cat's honor?' _ She thought.

Marinette's eyes went wide as a wave of panic flashed through Adrien's face.

"So that's why you had such a sudden mood change when you were talking about Ladybug." She muttered, relief filling her.

"Look Marinette-." Adrien started to say, but Marinette cut him off.

"You felt guilty because you're friends with Chat Noir! He probably told you about Ladybug rejecting him and here you are talking about her with such admiration." Marinette smiled softly. "So you felt guilty because you look up to a person who's caused your friend pain." She said softly.

_ 'Don't worry Kitty, I'll make it up to you, somehow.' _ She vowed.

"Uh yeah!" Adrien nearly yelled. "Yeah that's that's totally why, and I picked up the 'cat's honor' thing from him too!" He exclaimed rapidly, nervousness leaking into his words.

Marinette decided to let it go. He was probably just afraid about how people would react if Adrien Agreste was close friends with Chat Noir.

"It's cool that you guys are so close." Marinette commented. 

_ 'Like we used to be.' _ She thought to herself bitterly.  _ 'That's why you have to make it up to him.'  _

"Yeah." Adrien's voice sounded far off. 

_ 'He's probably still thinking about what happened.'  _

"Hey, I'm sure Chat Noir won't mind you talking about Ladybug. She's a hero, you're allowed to admire a hero." She elbowed him playfully, glad that she wasn't stuttering, but Adrien's feelings took priority over her own. If she was going to be friends with him, then she needed to bury her remaining feelings for him deep inside and focus on making him feel better.

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks Marinette, you can always cheer me up!" He gave her a real smile and she couldn't help but feel proud at cheering him up. 

They walked side-by-side in a peaceful silence, forgetting about the girl behind them.

"So, when should we arrive at the Couffaine houseboat? I've only been there a few times." Kagami broke through the bubble that has surrounded Marinette and Adrien. 

Almost automatically, Marinette started to feel guilty. She was supposed to be friends with Kagami and here she was with the boy she likes!

"Well, we should be there in a few minutes. Luckily, they're a little closer to school then usual today." Marinette told her.

"Do you think they did that for us?" Adrien asked. Marinette opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

"It wouldn't surprise me, Luka seems like the person who would go the extra mile for his girlfriend." Kagami mused. 

Marinette blushed a bright red at the implication.

"W-w-we a-aren't-." Marinette stuttered out, but she couldn't seem to get the sentence out. Adrien turned to look back at her, obviously concerned, which didn't help her case at all. 

"I thought you two were dating, my mistake." Kagami said, seemingly nonchalant, but Marinette could see how her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. 

Maybe that was why Kagami had told Marinette to go and comfort Adrien, because she thought Luka had her heart. That obviously wasn't true, not yet at least. Marinette wished that she could make it true, it would be better for everyone that way, not just for her and Kagami.

"Yeah, me too." Adrien remarked. 

That sent a wave of turmoil through Marinette.

He thought she and Luka were dating? That obviously wasn't true. Wait, was that why Adrien had told her he was in love with someone else? What if he liked her, but was trying to get over her because he thought she loved another boy? And that's why he told her he liked someone else?

No, not even Ladybug could be that lucky.

"W-well, we- we're not-." Marinette could barely form a coherent sentence. Too many thoughts were running around in her head.

"I could help set you two up!" Adrien offered smiling brightly. Marinette nearly went into a full blown panic mode. 

She was sure he wasn't aware what his words did to her. How much they hurt. She  _ knew _ he didn't like her, she was  _ trying _ to move on, she  _ needed _ to move on.

And here was her crush offering to help her get over him. Offering her to a boy who would treat her right, who could help her! Who could calm her down when she was acting crazy.

Yet, as Marinette glanced at Adrien, at his shining eyes and bright smile, she couldn't even fathom someone else as her crush.

He looked at her expectantly and she realized that he was still waiting for an answer.

Did she want Adrien to set her up with Luka? She needed to move on, desperately. This could help her! A lot! If her crush helped set her up with another guy it would force her to move on from him! This would be perfect!

So why did her tongue feel so big in her mouth? It was one three letter word! Why was it so hard to choke out? 

"Ummm," she started to say. "Well, I-."

"Oh come on Marinette! It'd be so fun! I wouldn't mind third-wheeling you guys!" Adrien then lowered his voice. "It's the least I can do after you helped me out with Kagami a while back." He winked at her, sending her heart into overdrive. Then she processed his words.

She felt her voice leave her as if she were going up against Silencer again. Until she felt her bag nudge against her in encouragement. Clearing her throat she started to speak: 

"That's really nice of you, Adrien." She started. "But, I'll have to think about it." She inwardly cheered at her lack of stutter. 

"Oh! Okay, well just let me know." He threw his arm around her easily, which didn't help the poor girl's case at all. "I'm amazing at setting up my friends!"

A memory came to Marinette.

"Yeah, like that time you tried to set Nino and I up at the zoo?" She teased.

"We do NOT talk about that Mari!" Adrien nearly yelled. 

"What happened at the zoo?" Kagami asked, now walking side-by-side with the couple. 

"Don't-." Marinette smirked. "Marinette..." Adrien warned, her smirk only grew.

"So, this happened a while ago." She started, but was interrupted by Adrien's cry of agony. 

"Marinette,  _ please _ ." He practically begged her. Part of her felt guilty that her crush was in pain because of her, but one glance at Kagami's mischievous look on her normal stoic face dispelled those thoughts. 

"Adrien had invited Nino, Alya, and I to the zoo." She continued, ignoring Adrien's wail.

"Adrien! Don't interrupt Marinette! She's telling us a story!" Kagami scolded the boy.

"This isn't fair." He muttered under his breath.

"Thank you Kagami." Marinette smiled at the girl. "So, anyway I head to the zoo because Alya was going to be late." She of course had to fudge a few of the details, of course, there was no way she was confessing her feelings for Adrien now and like this. "And there's Nino, waiting for me at the entrance at a zoo. Adrien is nowhere in sight, which is odd because he was the one who invited us in the first place." 

"Oh?" Kagami raised an eyebrow.

"So anyway, I go over and join Nino and we're waiting there for Lord knows how long, waiting for Alya and Adrien to show up." She continues. "In complete silence." Adrien, who had seemingly given up, decided to speak up. 

"Okay, Marinette! That's enough!" He said, giving her wide eyes. "Kagami doesn't want to hear this!"

"No no, I do. I'm intrigued." Kagami smirked and Marinette had to do a double take. 

"So like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, we sat there in complete silence. Until finally, Nino started to speak up." At this point Adrien let out a wail of distress. "And he started talking about this girl that he liked. When I ask him who it is, instead of saying me-."

"Nino liked you? The same Nino who has been dating Alya since the beginning of time?" Kagami asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yep!" Marinette confirmed. "This is actually how they got together."

"So I AM a successful matchmaker!" Adrien boasted.

"Actually, Ladybug was the one who locked them in the cage, so she's the successful matchmaker." Marinette pointed out, feeling prideful until she saw the myriad of emotions run across his face. 

"I guess you're right." He said smiling a fake smile. Which Marinette absolutely loathed.

"What happened after NIno started to speak up?" Kagami asked.

"Well instead of saying he liked me, he said that he liked Alya." Kagami's eyebrows were raised. "I offered to set them up, because _ I'm _ actually a successful matchmaker." Adrien scoffed from beside her, his arm still around her.

_ 'Why hasn't he moved his arm?' _ Marinette thought in a moment of panic.

"Oh yeah? Name one couple you've gotten together."

"Nathaniel and Marc." She said almost automatically. Adrien's mouth opened and closed like a fish.

_ 'And Alya and Nino.' _ She thought victoriously.

"No fair." He slipped his arm out from under her and crossed them, to both her relief and dismay.

"I'd say that's fair." Kagami said, a smile on her face.

Marinette was shocked at how natural this seemed. Sure, they had hung out the three of them before, but this seemed almost instinctual. It wasn't like this hadn't happened before, even though her stutter got in the way most of the time, she did have her moments with Adrien. Normally, when she was with someone else along with him or spent a lot of time with him and got used to his presence.

How odd.

"So the point of the story is that Adrien failed at being a matchmaker." Marinette said, almost as if it were a universal truth.

"So maybe you don't want his help with you and Luka." Kagami teased. Ah yes, the problem at hand.

Her conflicting emotions for two different boys. 

Marinette offered Kagami a weak smile.

"Yeah maybe not." Although it was for different reasons than what Kagami assumed.

"Oh not you too!" Adrien complained. "And it was one time!" He protested.

"Oh? And what couple have you gotten together?" Kagami asked.

"Well...I...." Adrien trailed off.

"Exactly, none. You're not qualified. The one time you tried to set someone up it ended up in a totally different couple getting together." Kagami commented.

"Hmph. No fair." Adrien pouted.

"All is fair in love and war." Kagami told him. 

Marinette smiled at their exchange. Whether or not she liked it, they would make a good couple. If she was going to be "just a friend" her whole life then so be it, but she wasn't going to sit around and wait for Adrien.

That's it. She was going to move on even if it  _ killed  _ her.

"Mari, please let me help? You're one of my first and best friends! I want to help you no matter what." Adrien smiled at her, a genuine, gorgeous smile.

It was going to kill her.

As she tried to navigate through the thoughts of her scrambled brain trying to find an answer for Adrien she heard a voice call them over.

"Adrien! Kagami! Marinette!" There was Alya and Nino waving them over on the Couffaine houseboat.

There they were helping Luka set up.

"Come abroad!" Luka called from where he was. His smile was kind and soothing, his blue eyes sparkled with lightness and intrigue. 

Marinette couldn't lie, he looked incredibly handsome.

"You guys ready to educate Kagami?" Adrien called as he stepped onto the boat.

"Born ready Agreste!" Alya called. "By the end of today, Kagami should be briefed in Pop Culture Music 101."

"Now come on! We don't have all day dudes and I've got a box full of records." Nino called.

"You know," Kagami started as she stepped onto the boat. "Marinette shared a very interesting story with me today." She said, smirking. Adrien let out a garbled cry.

"Oh what about?" Alya asked.

"How you and Nino really got together." Kagami said. Alya raised her eyebrows and glanced at Marinette, probably wondering what exactly she told them. 

After all, the full reality of the story was that Alya was trying to set up her and Adrien while Adrien was trying to set up her and Nino.

Marinette waved her off subtly as she stepped onto the boat.

"Mari was torturing me." Adrien pouted.

"Oh boo hoo." Alya pouted. "So, did you enjoy the story?" She asked, smirking.

"Very much. Adrien's failures are always amusing." Kagami told her. Alya and Nino laughed.

"Our story is definitely unique." Nino said, slipping his arm around his girlfriend.

"That's what makes it such a good wedding story!" Marinette said, walking over to them.

Both of them flushed at the implication.

"Oh be quiet." Alya grumbled. Marinette walked away, cackling.

"Hey." A voice said. She hadn't realized she had been walking closer to Luka until she was right in front of them.

"Hey." Her voice sounded dazed.

"You feeling alright?" He asked, his sparkling blue eyes looking into her, a look of worry on his face.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed the thought of _ 'why can't I move on?' _ to the back of her mind.

"Yeah fine! Why?" She asked.

"I can tell that there's a battle in you between your heart and your mind." Luka mused. "I just wanted to make sure that it was nothing major. You're an extraordinary girl, Marinette, you don't deserve to be hurting." He smiled at her and again she found herself speechless, like she was after her first confession.

She couldn't help it, the blush rising to her cheeks made her seem even more aware of how they ended up talking about Adrien's matchmaking skills.

Because they thought that her and Luka were dating. 

They weren't, but why weren't they?

_ 'Marinette and Luka. Luka and Marinette. Lukanette.' _ The names bounced around in Marinette's thoughts. She liked the thought of it, she really did.

She glanced at the boy in front of her, trying to get the audio working so he could help out Kagami, someone who he barely knew. Because she had asked him too. He was so kind, and could read her like a book, he could tell how she was feeling even when she didn't. 

Marinette looked over her shoulder at where Kagami and Adrien were. He had his arm around her and was leaning in. He looked happy. And if he was happy with Kagami then so be it. Why did she have to sacrifice her happiness for him when he was already happy? It wouldn't make a difference to him if she were dating someone or not. 

So she should go with what will make her happy.

She'd made her decision.

"Hey Luka?" She started to say.

"Yeah?" He turned to her.

Was she really about to do this? She glanced back at Adrien and Kagami.

Yes, yes she was.

"Would you-?" She was interrupted by a loud guitar rift blasting through the speaker and cheers.

_ 'Oh come on!' _ She thought in indignation. However, it was hard to stay mad as her favorite Jagged Stone song came on through the sound system.

"What was that Marinette?" Luka asked her. She glanced over her shoulder to where everyone else was dancing.

Oh well, there would be more opportunities to ask out Luka later.

"Would you like to dance?" She asked him. A broad smile came over his face.

_ 'Cute.' _ Marinette thought, glad that she could think compliments about a boy and not feel guilty about it.

"Of course, Ma-ma-Marinette." He told her as he offered his hand out to her. She giggled at his signature nickname, her heart feeling light and took his hand.

He led her over to where the other couples were dancing. Alya and Nino, Adrien and Kagami, Juleka and Rose, and now her and Luka.

Her left hand was in his right. Her right arm was on his shoulder and his left hand was on her waist. The song was upbeat, so the dance was more of a jig around the deck of the boat.

On one hand Marinette was happy that she wasn't having a slow dance with him, because whether she liked it or not a part of her heart still belonged to Adrien. On the other hand maybe going to fast into a relationship would force her to get over Adrien and be better for her in the long run.

Luka smiled at her from in front of her. She was close enough to him that she could see every hue in his captivating turquoise eyes, but far enough that he couldn't feel his breath on her face.

Even now, he was allowing her to take the first step, to show him when she was ready. Because he would wait for her. Who else would do that?

Who else would, even though they're in love with you, step back and let her be with the boy that she liked?

Who else would wait for her and put her friendship above everything, even their own feelings?

She smiled at him widely. Slowly all her fears about boy drama faded away.

Adrien is going to start dating Kagami soon? She was glad that he's happy!

Chat Noir is becoming distant? They're Ladybug and Chat Noir! They'll get through this rough patch.

Luka likes her and she feels guilty about returning his feelings?

She blushed as her smile only grew as her eyes trained on the boy in front of her.

Well, maybe she won't have to feel guilty anymore.

"Whatcha thinking about?" He asked her. Her grin widened and she must've looked like a madwoman, but she couldn't help it.

"I'm just really happy." She replied. His hand squeezed hers.

"I'm glad. You deserve nothing less." She giggled. "Hey Marinette?"

"Yeah Luka?"

"Do you," He hesitated, looking almost bashful. Marinette furrowed her eyebrows wondering just what he was thinking about. "Do you think I could take you out to lunch sometime?" He asked her nervously. 

Her eyebrows shot up.

"I don't mean to pressure you, but Adrien is moving on to Kagami. I just hate seeing you hurt." He explained. Marinette smiled softly at the boy.

"Sure, Luka. I'd really like that." Her smile temporarily slipped. "I haven't completely moved on, but I'm trying." She told him. She smiled softly at her.

"That's all I can ask of you Marinette. Go at your speed, not at mine. You're always doing things for other people, do something for yourself for a change." He told her softly, his voice never becoming frustrated with her. 

"Thank you Luka." She whispered. "It means a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me." He told her, which made her blush. The song switched from Jagged Stone to a slow dance. "We don't have to if you don't want to." He told her.

Marinette bit her lip. If she was going to move on, she had to take the leap and trust that Luka would catch her at the bottom.

"I want to." She decided. Luka pulled her in close, both of his hands on her waist now and her arms wrapped around his neck.

She burrowed her face into the crook of his neck breathing in the scent of sea salt and hair dye. 

He must have recently re-dyed his hair.

She looked back up at Luka, who smiled down at her.

As she was about to move back to her old position she caught sight of a certain blond and realized two things.

1) Adrien was not slow dancing with Kagami.

2) He was watching _ her  _ instead.

She gulped as she met his gaze, which he tore away from her almost immediately as Kagami walked back over to him.

"Marinette?" Luka whispered in her ear. "You alright? You've become tense."

"Sorry." She said as she tried to loosen up.

"What's wrong?" He asked her. "Is this going too fast?" He pulled away from her, his turquoise eyes searching her bluebell ones for any sign of discomfort.

"No, no." She quickly reassured him. "It's just that," She bit her lip, wondering if she could tell him.

"Marinette?" He asked her softly.

"Adrien." She told him. 

"What about him?" His voice had no frustration or anger towards her in it, just calm understanding.

Just like that, the temporary spell he had put her over was broken.

Adrien is going to start dating Kagami soon! She was about to lose someone who was never hers in the first place and what was she doing? Was she moving on? No! How pathetic.

Chat Noir is becoming distant! As if Adrien moving on to someone she genuinely liked wasn't enough, her partner was shutting her out. The boy who had been there for her since day one! The boy who had helped her when she was weak! The boy who could understand her problems about leading a double life! Platonic or not he was her other half! And she was losing him! Because of a boy who never liked her anyway!

"Marinette?" Luka's voice broke her out of her panic. "Come on, let's go get some water okay?" He asked her. She nodded, not really processing anything.

He lead her off of the dance floor and over to where there was a table with water bottles and other snacks. There was a lone chair by the table, which Luka helped her sit down in.

"Hey, it's okay. I promise you it's okay." He told her grabbing a water bottle and opening it for her.

"I'm sorry." She choked out.

"It's not your fault, I promise." Luka offered her a sincere smile which only made her feel worse. "You wanna tell me what happened?" She smiled. This wasn't the first time she had broken down in front of him, yet he still loved her.

"It's not you. I'm just going through a lot." She sighed. He looked at her and nodded.

"Well, tell me as much as you want to-."

"Hey Luka!" Rose's chirpy voice cut off the end of his sentence. "We need your help with something."

Luka looked back towards Marinette who waved him off, telling him to go do whatever he needed to.

"You sure you'll be okay?" He asked her.

"I promise." Some alone time would do her good. That way she could just think without any boys getting in the way of her common sense. 

"Okay, I'm going to go help out Rose, but if you need anything just call and I'll be over okay?" He told her. She smiled.

"Okay, but I'm sure I'll be fine." He gave her a skeptical look before going over and joining Rose.

She let out a long sigh wanting to clear her head so that she could actually think about what was going on without distractions.

First things first, what's something that she could fix. Her and Chat Noir's relationship. 

All she needed to do was to talk to him, explain that he didn't need to shut her out to move on. Explain that even if he was no longer in love with her that didn't mean that he couldn't love her in a platonic way. After all, he meant the world to her, but she wasn't in love with him. She missed their witty banter, all those small moments that she didn't realize how much they meant to her until they were gone. 

All she needed was one talk. Just one chance to speak with him about their partnership and relationship.

Speaking of relationships, what was she going to do about Adrien and Luka?

Adrien was her first love. The only boy she's ever loved. She would do anything for him, but he was moving on to Kagami. Who was her friend! And even if he wasn't, she knew he wasn't in love with her.

_ 'The girl that I'm in love with doesn't like my jokes either.' _

With the exception of his prank on that forbidden day, Marinette enjoyed his jokes. They were incredibly cheesy, but they had their place. 

It almost reminded her of Chat Noir, but the difference there was while Adrien joked around when it was appropriate Chat Noir seemed to have no filter. 

She looked at where Adrien and Kagami where he was telling her something and she was laughing..?

But he had said that the girl he was in love with didn't like his jokes! Maybe it was a rare opportunity. 

Still, what if it wasn't? What if Kagami truly wasn't the girl he was in love with?

_ 'What does it matter to you? He doesn't like you.' _ A part of her brain argued.

_ 'Well, I should make sure that the girl he's in love with is good for him! After all, isn't that what a good friend would do?' _ The other part of her brain argued back.

"Hey Marinette."

_ 'Think of the devil.'  _ She thought.

"Hi Adrien." She greeted the boy. Inwardly she hoped that he would go away, but as he pulled up a chair she knew that it was just wishful thinking.

"You feeling alright?" He asked her. 

He had noticed?

"Y-yeah w-why?" She hoped her stutter was because she was shocked, not because she liked him.

"Well, you left the dance floor pretty suddenly..." He trailed off. Marinette felt a blush rise to her cheeks out of embarrassment.

"You, uh, you noticed that?" She asked him nervously.

"Yeah I did. I was worried about you, you know." Her heart leapt. 

"You were?" She whispered hoping that he didn't hear her, but he did.

"Of course I was, you're my best friend." He reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "Best friends cheer each other up, right?" He asked, smiling at her brilliantly.

Her heart felt both light and heavy. On one hand, he obviously cared about her, enough to call her his best friend. On the other hand, he called her his best friend.

"Yeah, they do." She told him, smiling. 

"They also tell each other stuff, right?" Adrien asked her, turning to look at her. She nodded. 

"Of course."

"So why don't you tell me why you seemed so freaked out earlier?" He asked her, smirking, but his eyes were filled with concern.

She gulped, what was she supposed to say?

_ 'I'm in love with you, but you're moving on to Kagami and Luka is waiting for me and I think I like him too, but I'm still in love with you and I don't want to start dating him until I fully get over you. To top it off, my amazing other half is becoming more distant which is not only affecting my mental health, but could also sacrifice Paris as well'? _

Yeah right.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Adrien looked down at his feet. Marinette felt guilt well up inside of her.

"No, no! I'm just trying to phrase what's going on." She said. Adrien looked at her expectantly. Maybe she couldn't tell him about the Adrien vs Luka debate, but she could tell him about Chat Noir without mentioning names right?

What's the worst that could happen?

"There's this guy that I'm really close to, I have been for quite some time." She started to say.

"Do I know him?" Adrien asked.

"No." She answered quickly. Was that technically a lie? Yes. But was she about to tell him it was Chat Noir? Oh hell no. That would only open a can of worms she didn't want to deal with.

"Okay. Go on." Adrien gave her a supportive smile that made her heart do flips.

"Well, he's in love with me." She told him, watching his expression carefully. His eyebrows raised.

"Oh?" He asked.

"Yeah, but I don't feel that way about him." She said, fidgeting with her hands. "Don't get me wrong! I love him dearly I'm just not-."

"In love with him?" Adrien asked her. She nodded. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that. You can't help the way you feel. The heart wants what it wants." She smiled at him.

"Thanks Adrien that means a lot."

"It's no problem. So, about this guy, is he being to pushy?"

"What? No!" Marinette exclaimed. Chat Noir? Pushy? He had told her herself that her friendship meant everything to him. Even if he flirted with her endlessly and sometimes invaded her personal space, the moment she showed any discomfort he backed off. "It's actually the opposite." She told Adrien and he raised his eyebrows.

"He's grown distant." She sighed. "Every time I try to talk to him he makes an excuse on why he needs to leave. Our friendship is getting cracked one day at a time." Marinette looked down at the floor. "I know that he needs to move on from me, but that doesn't mean he has to be so, so-."

"Closed?" Adrien offered. Marinette turned to him to find his concerned expression gone, an unreadable one in his place. 

"Adrien?" Marinette asked tentatively. He let out a long sigh.

"I understand what your friend is going through. He's using this strategy because he feels as though there's no other choice. If he's tried moving on in other ways, but it has always failed then him shutting you out is his last chance." Adrien's eyes were focused on the ground. Marinette was taken aback on how sure he sounded as if there was no other reason. 

"Yeah but-."

"He doesn't want to do this." He said, interrupting her. "But he thinks it will be better for both you and him in the end because, then maybe you can be happy. Happy without him," His voice started to waver. "distracting you constantly or flirting or-."

"Adrien." Marinette cut him off. "Adrien." She kept her voice soft. "Look at me." He kept his gaze down on the floor. "Adrien." She added a little more force into her voice. "Please?" She asked him. He glanced up at her and she took in a sharp breath. There were tears in his eyes. "Who hurt you?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's-." He hesitated. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He said chuckling bitterly. 

"Try me." Marinette crossed her arms.

"It's the girl that I'm in love with."

Ouch. That hurt. She had known that he loved someone else, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt to talk about it.

_ 'No, be his friend. Friends first.'  _ She told herself. 

"What happened?" She asked, preparing her heart for each bullet. 

"Well, I've been in love with her since I first met her." First bullet. "She's- I have no words to describe her." Second bullet. "She means the world to me." Third bullet. "But she doesn't love me that way." Fourth bull-

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah." She hadn't realized she had spoken until he answered. "She doesn't feel that way about me. That's why I understand your friend's situation so well." He told her, putting his face in his hands. He looked honestly distraught.

Marinette wanted to kill whoever broke her love’s heart.

But wait-.

That means, he didn't like Kagami!

Her mind was whirling. 

Had she not blown her chance? If he was trying to move on, then what if he moved on to her? Could she even be that lucky? Could her and Adrien become a couple?

Wait, no. What was she thinking? As sweet as the thought of being a couple with Adrien is, she couldn't do that to Kagami. 

"So you're trying to move on?" Marinette asked. He chuckled bitterly.

"Trying is the key word. It's so hard, you know?" He asked, looking at her with those sincere green eyes that had stolen her heart.

"Yes." She breathed out.

"I've tried everything else, but" He shook his head. "nothing ever lasts. There's certain days where I think 'I've truly moved on!' and other days where I'm still madly in love with her." Marinette nodded. That sounded about right. "And it's not fair to her because she never did anything wrong. If she doesn't like me, she doesn't like me. I just need to accept that and move on. It's not fair to me, her, or Kagami to stay in love with this girl." Marinette nodded.

"Yeah I get it, but just talk to her Adrien. Most likely, she misses you if you've shut her out." He shrugged. 

"I know that she cares about me, we're really close, but it's so hard. Shutting her out seems like my only option." He let out a long sigh.

Marinette's heart panged in her chest. It made sense and made no sense all at the same time. Poor Chat Noir, had she really pushed him to the breaking point. Oh her poor kitty! How could she have hurt him like this? She would make it up to him, she had to. For the sake of her health and Paris she had to. But what could she do if he refused to talk to her?

"So," Marinette took a deep breath. "After you moved on, will you try and get yours and hers relationship back to where it was?" She asked.

Of course, Adrien and Chat Noir were two different people, but they were friends so maybe they took advice from each other. Adrien nodded.

"Of course I will. Even if I wasn't in love with her, I could never shut her out forever! Our friendship means too much to me." He said.

"Adrien," This sounded familiar, eerily familiar and if it was this familiar then the girl who Adrien loved might be going through the same thing she was going through. "If your friendship means that much to her then talk to her, ask about boundaries, try to work it out with her. One conversation can make so many things better."

"Like that one time at the Wax Museum...." Adrien turned towards Marinette, his eyebrows raised and a smirk that reminded her of her partner. She scoffed.

"I thought we agreed to never talk about that again." She told him, but his grin was contagious. 

"I didn't say what part of the Wax Museum I was talking about, it was just your mind that went to our-."

"Lalalalalalalalalalala I can't hear you!" Marinette stuffed her fingers in her ears and gave Adrien a playful glare. He shrugged.

"Thank you." She could hear him through her attempts to mask his voice.

"For what?" She asked, taking her fingers out of her ears.

"Well, I came over here to cheer you up and instead you decided to cheer me up." He elbowed her playfully. "The everyday Ladybug strikes again." He told her, smiling. Her heart skipped a beat like it did every time he called her that.

It was comforting, someone thinking she was just as amazing as her alter-ego without the mask and with the imperfections she hides as Ladybug. Only Chat Noir can very rarely see through the mask and here was a normal civilian thinking she was as perfect as Ladybug who had seen her at some of her personal lows. Yet he never judged her for them. God, he was amazing.

"Well, thank you, Adrien." She told him, blushing lightly.

"For what?" He asked, confused.

"You've cheered me up. Given me perspective. I now understand what Cha-what my friend" She quickly corrected herself. If Adrien noticed her slip-up he didn't pay attention to it. "is going through a little better. Maybe I could give him some more space now." Adrien nodded.

"That might be helpful. The sooner he gets over you the sooner you guys can build back up."

"Yeah." Marinette felt hopeful. Adrien had managed to make her feel a lot better. Of course, there was still the problem of who had her heart, but at least, if she got Chat back on her side then maybe he would make it easier for her to figure out what she should do. Another outlet for advice. Yeah, it'd be nice to have her kitty back. "You'll figure things out with that girl too." She told him.

"I sure hope so." He smiled.

"You will, you're Adrien Agreste! If you can handle doing non-stop photo shoots for an entire weekend then you can figure things out with the girl you-." She hesitated, not being able to say the l-word yet. "have feelings for." She told him instead.

Adrien gave her a brilliant smile that made her go into overdrive.

"Thank you, Mari. That means more than you could know." A familiar song came over the speakers. 

It was Marinette's favorite song.

It was the song that Adrien and Marinette had first slow danced to.

Adrien's grin only grew.

"You wanna dance?" He asked her, holding his hand out to her. 

It was odd, two different boys on the same day wanting to slow dance with her. The two different boys that were fighting in her heart, even if it was unknown to one.

Well, if she was going to slow dance with might as well slow dance with the other right?

And in all honesty, she felt closer to Adrien after their talk. They had confided in each other, told each other about things no one else knew about.

It was weird because they weren't as close as one would think and yet they bantered and talked like they had known each other lifetimes.

She looked up at Adrien and smiled at him.

"Of course." She took his hand and allowed him to pull her to the dance floor.


	4. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dream, an akuma, and a realization!

"Adrien." A voice rang in his ear. The boy groaned. "Adrien, come on, it's time to get up." The voice said, shaking him lightly. Adrien Agreste peeked one eye open to see the last person he would ever expect sitting on the edge of his bed.

"L-Ladybug!" He exclaimed sitting up in bed, his covers falling to reveal his Ladybug onesie. He blushed a bright red as Ladybug's eyebrows raised. 

"So you're a fan." She teased, smirking a tad bit.

"Uh, I uh-." Adrien's tongue felt too big for his mouth.

"That's okay." She said. Then, she leaned in so close to Adrien he could feel her breath on his mouth. "Because I'm a fan of you." She whispered ever so softly.

"R-really?" He whispered back, his green eyes not daring to stray from her ocean ones in case it would break whatever spell was happening.

"Really." She breathed out. Then leaned back. "Is that okay?" She asked shyly, biting her lip.

"W-what?" He asked, momentarily taken aback. "Y-yeah! Of course it's okay!" He told her excitedly, coming to his senses. She let out a giggle which he absolutely loved. 

"You look really cute with that bed hair of yours." She told him grinning. His face flushed even more, which he didn't even realize was possible.

"T-thank you." He managed to get out. Ladybug let out another giggle.

"You're welcome. So, how are you?" She asked. Adrien blinked. Was she making small talk with him? As she sat on the edge of his bed? What was going on?

"G-good." He said, eyeing her as he tried to figure out what exactly was happening. "Ladybug," He started to say slowly. "Not that I'm not glad you're here, but is something wrong? Is there an akuma?" He asked, already mentally preparing an excuse so he could sneak away and transform.

"An akuma?" Ladybug said, cocking her head to the side. "No, there's no akuma." She looked down and blushed?

Was she blushing?

What was happening!

"I just," she sighed. "I just really wanted to talk with you, but I get it. It's weird to be woken up by a superhero." She fidgeted with her hands. "I'll go if-."

"No!" Adrien leaned over, grabbing her hand is his. "I don't mind at all! I'll admit it's a little strange, but you're Ladybug!" He grinned broadly. "I'm always up for chatting with you!"

Her eyes widened a little bit in shock as she smiled shyly.

"Thank you, Adrien, that means everything to me." She told him. 

"R-really?" Adrien was surprised. She never talked to Chat Noir like this. "W-why?" He asked.

"Well," Ladybug bit her lip nervously as her face heated up. "The truth is," she sighed. "the reason why I'm visiting you is because without my mask, I'd never have the courage to do this." She took a deep breath as Adrien's heart rate started to speed up. What was she about to tell him? What was so important that she had to come here this early? 

"Do what?" He asked.

"This." She said before she leaned in so close Adrien could feel every little exhale from her nose on his skin.

"What is this?" He whispered, his eyes flickering to her lips.

"I think you already know." She told him, before closing the distance between them.

For one moment, Adrien let his heart control his actions instead of his head.

For one moment, Adrien allowed himself to relish something he'd never thought he could have.

For one moment, Adrien could almost think that Ladybug, _his lady_ , was about to be his.

For one moment, Adrien was in pure bliss.

And all too soon that moment shattered like the delicate piece of glass it was.

Ladybug tore away from his lips and when Adrien opened his eyes, he saw a look of utter betrayal on her face.

His heart sank into the depths of his stomach.

"Lady-?" He couldn't get her name out before a loud _smack_ resonated across the walls of his room.

"You knew." She choked out, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"W-what?" Adrien touched the red mark of her hand on his cheek gently. If Adrien wasn't confused before, he was definitely confused now.

"You knew that I liked you!" Ladybug shrieked. "You knew that I had feelings for you and you didn't tell me!" Pain dripped from her voice like vinegar and Adrien just wanted it to stop.

"Tell you what?" He asked. "And when did you tell me that you liked me?" He asked, trying to get her to look at him.

When she finally met his eyes again, instead of hurt or joy he just saw anger. 

"I told you last night that I liked Adrien Agreste on patrol, _Chat Noir_." She sneered, her voice venomous. 

Adrien's jaw dropped.

"W-what?" He choked out. The details of last night's patrol were fuzzy, to say the least, but that seemed familiar. But why didn't he reveal his identity? "H-how?"

"I kissed you to save you from Dark Cupid." She reminded him, almost growling as her face was in a permanent sneer. 

"Oh." He whispered. She must have recognized the kiss. Still, something about this wasn't adding up.

"You know what?" Ladybug chuckled bitterly. "It's a good thing you didn't tell me you were Chat Noir." Something about her tone made Adrien think that the opposite was true. "Because if I had known for one second that _you_ were my partner." She snarled. "I would've given up the miraculous the moment I laid eyes on you." She told him.

"W-what?" Adrien couldn't believe what was happening right now.

She scoffed. 

"'What?'" She mocked him. "That's all you have to say?" She huffed. "You know for a second there, I actually thought you loved me."

"What, but I do love you!" Adrien protested.

"No," Ladybug shook her head. "You don't. And you know what?" Her eyes met his. "I don't love you either. Whatever I felt for Adrien is squashed by the fact that you're Chat Noir. A huge flirt whose feelings mean nothing to me!" Her voice started to rise. "Do you hear me Adrien Agreste? You mean nothing to me!" She shouted. "And now I'm going to take that ring and leave you! Just like your mother left you! Just like your father has shut you out! So that way you will be alone!"

"No!" Adrien made a fist with his right hand, trying to protect his ring, but it was already in the palm of her hand.

"Are you ready to be alone again, this time forever?" Ladybug asked him grinning wickedly.

"NO!" He yelled, but it was too late, Ladybug had jumped to his window.

She looked behind her shoulder at him.

"You deserve this." She told him with steely determination, before jumping off into the Parisian daylight.

"NOOOOOO!" Adrien yelled bolting upright in his bed.

"Kid! Kid calm down! You're okay!" His kwami flew up to his face.

"Plagg?" Adrien asked. "Plagg! You're okay!" He cheered, pulling the kwami closer to him.

"Agh! Yeah I'm fine! A little hungry, but fine!" Adrien breathed out a sigh of relief, a little surprised at how ragged his breath sounded.

"Okay, good, good, that's good." He said, nodding a bit to himself. 

"Are you okay kid?" Plagg asked. Adrien looked at Plagg, confused momentarily because his kwami wasn't one for affection.

That was before he realized how wet his cheeks were and how clogged his nose was.

"Was I-?" Adrien wiped a tear on his cheek, answering his own question.

"You started whimpering in your sleep." Plagg told him. Adrien sighed, letting his head fall back on the pillow. "Adrien?" Plagg asked.

"I'm fine." He lied.

"Oh come on Adrien, you don't possibly expect me to believe that after everything." Plagg told him. Adrien just sighed and pulled the blankets off of him giving up on sleep. 

He walked into his bedroom, Plagg trailed behind him as he turned on the sink and splashed water on his tear-stained face. He looked up at his reflection.

He looked like a mess.

His blonde hair was all over the place, his eyes were red from crying, his plain white t-shirt was sticking to him and his forehead was slick with sweat. If only his photographers would see him now.

"Another dream about..." Plagg trailed off not needing to say her name. Adrien gulped and nodded. "The same one that you've been having-."

"Every night this week?" Adrien finished Plagg's sentence. "Yeah."

"That will never happen Adrien."

"How do you know that?" He asked helplessly.

"Can you see Ladybug, the real Ladybug, not your nightmare one, taking away your miraculous because you didn't tell her your identity?" Plagg asked him the same question he had asked him for about five nights now. And Adrien gave him the same answer he always did.

"No." 

"If anything-."

"It'd be the opposite. I know, I know." Adrien ran his hand through his disheveled hair. "That doesn't stop me from-." He couldn't finish his sentence.

"That won't happen Adrien. If Ladybug even tries to take her Miraculous from you, she'll have to go through me." Plagg told him. Adrien chuckled lightly.

"Thanks Plagg." He told his kwami, smiling softly.

"You're welcome kid." Plagg yawned. "What time is it anyway?"

Adrien walked out of his bathroom and checked the clock in the corner of his computer.

"Only four-fifteen." He said. Plagg yawned. "You can go back to sleep, I doubt I'll be able too. I'm supposed to get up at five anyway." He opened up the Ladyblog subconsciously before realizing what he was doing and closed the tab quickly. 

_'BAM!'_ The sound of his head hitting the desk, along with the desk itself muffled his groan of anguish.

"Kid?" Plagg asked.

"Why" _bang_ ,"is" _bang,_ "it" _bang,_ "so" _bang_ "hard" _bang_ "to" _bang_ "get" _bang_ "over" _bang_ "her?" Adrien let out another groan.

"This is why I stick to cheese, camembert never rejects my affections." Adrien lifted his head off of his desk to glare at his kwami. Plagg let out a long sigh. "Look kid, why don't you try and talk to her? Like that pigtail girl suggested." Adrien sighed. 

He had planned to talk to Ladybug the next time he saw her, but that nightmare shook him, even if he knew it wasn't true.

The little resolve he had built up during his conversation with Marinette had faded away.

"Plagg I've only ever loved Ladybug! How," Adrien let out another sigh. "Is it even possible to get over her? It all feels so hopeless. I mean when it was just me and her, it was fine for me to pine after her. She was the sun, the rain, always there, never attainable. Her friendship was enough for me! But now there's Kagami and Ladybug is Guardian! Master Fu didn't get to be with his loved one until he lost his memories." Adrien shook his head. "There's no point in hoping anymore. I have to move on Plagg! And talking to her, being close to her, that won't help. To move on I have to make an effort. Sitting around acting like nothing has happened won't help me!" He swallowed to try and make the tears that seemed to prickle his eyes nightly go away.

"Okay." Plagg said. "It was just a suggestion, but answer me this 'be as distant as possible' strategy actually working?" He asked.

"Of course it-!" At Plagg's raised eyebrows Adrien's voice faltered. 

_'Is it actually?'_ He thought. _'Are you really getting over Ladybug or are you just tricking yourself into thinking you are? You're not dating Kagami yet, you're still checking the Ladyblog , are you getting over Ladybug?'_

"I-." Adrien gulped. "I don't know. But, an ‘I don't know’ is still better than a no, right?" He didn't even muster up the energy to give Plagg a fake smile.

"Adrien, look. We've spent quite some time together right?" Plagg asked him.

"Right."

"And all throughout that time, you've been a lovesick idiot for Ladybug." He continued. Adrien just looked at Plagg, too tired to glare. 

"Gee, thanks." He told Plagg dryly. 

"But, you've always seemed happy. An idiot, but happy." Adrien let out another sigh.

"You're point?" He asked.

"Don't quit being happy, kid." Plagg told him. "If Ladybug makes you happy, then stop putting yourself through this pain of getting over her."

"She does make me happy, but she also hurts me. Unnecessarily, sure, but she still hurts me. Being around her, it wounds me and heals me all at the same time. How is that even possible?" Adrien told his kwami, stressed out.

"It's the pain of unrequited love, kid. You should do what makes you happy. If that's going after Ladybug then do it, and if not-."

"If not?" Adrien asked.

"If being around her doesn't make you happy, spend time with someone who does. Instead of shutting her out forcibly hurting both you and her, let someone else in naturally. Replace her only in the romantic sense not the platonic one." Plagg explained. 

"That's what I'm trying to do!" Adrien protested.

"By being so closed off even civilians notice something's up?" Plagg asked doubtfully.

"It's not permanent! As soon as I get over I'll be the best partner I can be, but right now-."

"Right now, you're shutting Ladybug out and not letting anyone in, Adrien!" Plagg cut off Adrien.

"I'm hanging out with Kagami more!" 

"But are you letting her in?" Plagg asked softly.

"Well," Adrien faltered. He and Kagami were complicated. In the beginning, they had amazing conversations and banter, those were the conversations he forced himself to replay in his head telling himself _'see? Here's an amazing girl who's in love with you! Why don't you love her?'_. But lately there conversations have been dry. The elephant in the room was getting worse everyday and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he needed to address it, but what was he supposed to say? 

_'I'm Chat Noir and I've been in love with Ladybug since I laid my eyes on her and that's why I'm not dating you'_?

Because that would _totally_ go over well!

"Exactly." Plagg told him. 

"Well how am I supposed to explain things to Kagami? Part of letting her in is being honest and I can't do that!" Adrien raked his hand through his hair. 

"And why can't you tell her what you told Marinette?" Plagg asked. 

"Because Kagami deserves the name of the girl who's preventing her from being with me." Adrien told him.

"And Marinette doesn't?" 

"Marinette doesn't feel that way about me." Adrien shrugged.

"Well, maybe you should talk to Marinette about it." Plagg suggested. Adrien gave him an odd look.

"About how she doesn't have romantic feelings for me?"

"About Kagami." Plagg sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh! That makes more sense." Adrien couldn't help but feel a little dumb.

"She already knows about Ladybug and she always makes you feel better." Adrien brightened at the thought of her.

"Of course she does! She's an everyday Ladybug." Plagg gave him an odd look that Adrien couldn't decipher. "What?" Plagg shook his head.

"Nothing kid, absolutely nothing." Adrien knew that there was something, but he chose to ignore it. 

"Okay then." He said, opening and closing empty tabs aimlessly. He had banned himself from going on the Ladyblog knowing that cutting off Ladybug meant cutting off the blog too. Of course, perusing the Ladyblog took up a huge chunk of his free time, so now that he had cut it out of his schedule he didn't know what to do.

 _'This is stupid.'_ He thought. _'I have literal arcade games in my room, yet I can't think of anything to do other than to go onto the ONE WEBSITE I've banned myself from.'_ Adrien let out yet another groan.

Plagg looked over from his camembert to Adrien banging his head on his desk yet again. 

This was quickly becoming the usual. Ever since Adrien had decided he was going to get over Ladybug, permanently this time. It had happened a few times before where Adrien would decide to get over Ladybug, only to go back on his words the next akuma fight, but this time it was different.

Beforehand, whenever Adrien tried to move on from Ladybug, there was that question of "who would I move on too?", it seemed that there was no one. Of course, he never gave it much thought because the task of moving on from his first love just seemed so daunting. So, he figured it was only himself he was hurting. 

But now...

Well, now there's Kagami and he knew first hand how much rejections hurt and he liked Kagami! He really did! But, his instinct still went to the girl he had loved since he first laid eyes on her. That's why he wasn't dating Kagami yet, he needed to be sure that Ladybug was no longer in his heart before he did. He knew that if he started dating Kagami while he still loved Ladybug then he would only fall harder for his partner, despite having a girlfriend.

Adrien continued to stare off in space anytime a romantic scenario between him and Ladybug appeared in his mind he tried to replace the heroine with his fencing partner. It wasn't working. The picture just looked so wrong in his head. 

Probably because Kagami and Ladybug were two _very_ different people, so they would like different things! Yeah! That's totally why! There was no other reason why!

No other reason.

Adrien sighed. Where would Kagami even want to go on a first date?

It was funny, you would think, with all the time they spent together that Adrien would at least have some idea what to do for a date, but his knowledge about dating Kagami hadn't grown since the ice rink date.

Yet another time Marinette helped him out with Kagami.

Talking to Marinette seemed more and more promising by the second.

How is it that she always saved him from awkward situations with Kagami?

He chuckled at the irony. As Chat Noir, he called himself her "knight in shining armor" multiple times, yet she came to his rescue as often as he came to hers if not more.

"Come on Plagg, we've got a Princess to talk to."

Two hours and forty-five minutes later, he arrived at Francoise Dupont with one goal in mind:

Talk to Marinette.

Adrien nearly bolted up the steps looking for the girl with no luck. He anxiously looked around for the midnight haired girl, finally spotting her talking animatedly to Alya.

Adrien let out a small laugh as he saw the girl gesticulate wildly. 

He always found her antics quite charming. Even if it prevented them from communicating fully.

Although, she had stopped stuttering around him most of the time, which he was thankful for because every time he hung out with her he was liking her more and more.

She was becoming an even better friend to him than he could imagine.

Maybe that was why he had confided in her yesterday, telling her things no one else knew besides Plagg. There was just something about her that made it so easy to tell her everything.

Adrien figured that was why she was made class president. He figured that everybody felt that way around her. Everybody seemed to love her except Chloe and Lila. 

Smiling even wider, he headed over to the girl.

"Hey Marinette!" He greeted her once he walked over to the girls. "Can I borrow her for a second?" He asked Alya. For some reason Alya's lips splitted into a sly smirk as she winked at Marinette.

"Sure thing, Agreste. I wanted to track down Nino before class anyway." With that Alya walked away. 

"S-so!" Marinette started.

"I need your advice again." Adrien told her, leading her to a nearby empty by slinging his arm around her.

"O-oh?" She sputtered.

"It's about the girl I told you about yesterday."

"What about her?"Marinette asked after a moment, her voice uncharacteristically even.

"Well, I can't really tell anybody who she is." Adrien stated slowly, unsure on how to start.

"Why?" Marinette asked. Adrien scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well, there's multiple reasons. I guess the main one is that I have a secret and if I told anyone about who I loved they would either write it off as a celebrity crush, which it's not, or figure out this secret." There, that wasn't giving too much away, right? Hopefully, Marinette wouldn't ask what his secret was, but she seemed trustworthy enough not to ask.

"I see." She said. "So, what exactly do you need advice about?" She asked.

"Well," Adrien sighed. "I'm not dating Kagami as you know." He bit his lip.

"R-right." Adrien glanced over at his companion who was staring down at her feet, probably deep in thought.

How considerate!

"It's because of this other girl that I'm trying to get over." He frowned thinking of all of the rejections from Ladybug. "I don't want to start dating Kagami until I'm over her, you know?" Marinette silently nodded, still deep in thought. "And Kagami is growing impatient, so I know that I'll have to address it sometime, but I just don't know what I should say!" He explained.

Marinette hummed.

"Well, I'd say tell her what you told me." Adrien opened his mouth to protest, but Marinette held a hand up. "Look, you obviously can't tell Kagami the name of this girl, because then this secret could get out, but telling her what you told me would be better than nothing."

It was funny because that was exactly what Plagg told him, yet coming out of Marinette's mouth, it made so much sense.

But there was one problem.

"But doesn't Kagami deserve the name of the girl who's preventing us from being together?" Adrien asked. Marinette tapped her finger to her chin.

"Maybe you should make up a name for this girl! Like do you have a nickname you call her?" She asked. Adrien smirked.

Did he have a nickname for Ladybug?

Oh Marinette had _no_ idea.

But, pretty much all of them were pet names except for "LB" and that could give Kagami one too many clues.

"Or call this girl you like by her initials!" Marinette suggested after his moment of silence.

"I would if I knew them." Adrien muttered to himself.

"You, you don't know her initials?" Marinette asked, blinking twice. Adrien gulped.

Why did that girl have such good hearing? He shook his head.

"No. It's complicated." Marinette nodded.

"That's okay, Adrien. I understand." Adrien gave her an appreciative smile.

"Thanks Marinette. You're really the only one I can talk to about this." A light blush coated his cheeks. "Nobody else really knows about her, but I'm glad you do!" He smiled widely.

"Y-yeah." She blushed lightly, the pink contrasting against her freckles. She then shook her head as if clearing her thoughts. "So! When's the next time you're going to see Kagami?" She asked him.

"Umm," Adrien did a quick mental rundown of his schedule. "I think we're scheduled to hang out on Tuesday." Marinette nodded.

"You should tell her then. After all, it's been a few weeks since getting ice cream at Andre's right?" 

"Right and I can tell she's growing impatient." Adrien rubbed his eyes with his hands. He couldn't help but miss the simpler days where he could follow his lady to the ends of the Earth.

 _'But she's_ not _your lady.'_ He thought to himself. _'And she never will be.'_ He felt a hand lay on his shoulder and looked up to see Marinette smiling at him, her eyes shining with worry. 

Oh how he was thankful to have a friend like Marinette.

"Don't worry Adrien. You _will_ get over this girl. I know it's hard, heck I'm trying to-!" She quickly clamped her hand over her mouth as her face turned a lovely shade of tomato. 

"You're trying to get over someone too?" He asked, confused. Up until yesterday, he had thought that Marinette and Luka were dating, after learning that they weren't he had just figured they liked each other, but hadn't made it official. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

"Um, I uh-." A memory came to Adrien.

He had just finished an akuma fight. He had baby August or 'Gigantitian' in his arms. He had headed up to a balcony to see if he could find Ladybug and August's 'gummie'. Instead he had found one of his classmates and a sudden love confession resulting in the akumatization of her father the next day.

"That's right!" He suddenly said. Marinette turned to look at him with an expression he could only describe as absolute terror. 

Riiight, nobody was supposed to know about the akumatization of her father except for the Dupain-Cheng's and Chat Noir. 

_'Good going Agreste.'_ He thought, annoyed that he had spooked the girl. He could practically hear Plagg's laughter.

"W-what?" Marinette asked, her face now ashen.

"Chat Noir!" Adrien exclaimed, an excuse rapidly forming in his mind. "He told me what happened with your father!" He hurriedly told her, wanting to cover his own tracks.

Marinette blinked twice, slowly. 

"Ohhhhhh." Her face returned to a normal color. "Yeah, Chat Noir." She said his name slowly. "I'm trying to get over Chat Noir." It almost sounded like she was confused with the statement.

"Well, aren't you? Or are you already over him?" He knew that Marinette and Chat had left on good terms with each other, both of them resolving to be friends, but look at Ladybug and him!

"No," She said in the same tone, like she was trying to convince herself. "I'm trying to get over him."

Adrien nodded, trying to ignore his accelerating heartbeat. 

He had thought that she had quickly moved on to Luka, but now, even months later, it turns out that she hadn't! What was he supposed to do with this information? Reject her again?

It wasn't like he could go out and date her as Chat Noir.

Besides, it was probably too late for them anyway!

And why was even thinking like that!

Marinette was just a friend!

His amazing, everyday Ladybug, best friend!

Oh boy.

"So, are you almost over him?" Adrien asked, trying to keep his voice steady and his blush down. Marinette opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, then opened it again.

"I-" She started to say.

_CRASH!_

The pair turned their attention to see a young duo of a girl and boy in the courtyard.

"We are the Fabula!" The boy, dressed in a nineteenth century soldiers uniform with a frowning mask that covered his face, yelled.

"And we're here to get revenge on the girl who jeopardized our chances of being in Hamilton!" The girl, dressed in an exquisite ball gown and a smiling mask that covered her face, finished.

"Chloe Bourgeois!" They called together.

 _'Oh great.'_ Adrien gritted his teeth. Not only did the akumas interrupt his lovely conversation with Marinette, but it meant that he had to see Ladybug.

Which meant he had to ignore her unless it was absolutely necessary, which would kill him.

Great, just great.

"I've got to go!" Adrien was barely aware of Marinette's call just nodding slightly before heading off to transform.

"You ready to fight, kid?" Plagg asked once they safely made it to the locker room. Adrien sighed because he knew the question really meant 'are you ready to see Ladybug'.

"I don't have much of a choice." He called his transformation and rushed out into the mayhem. 

All around him students were rushing to their normal spots to hide as the Fabula shot people with a microphone.

Entranced, Chat Noir watched as the happy Fabula shot at a bright beam at the student using the microphone and once their light faded the person was dressed in 1800 attire and seemed to be....singing? And frozen to their feet. 

A familiar _'zip'_ which he had grown accustomed to hearing broke him out of his trance.

"GAAAAH!" Chat yowled as he was unexpectedly launched upwards. "Oof." He fell down on the roof.

"Sorry." A voice he knew all too well said. "I thought it'd be better to observe from up here, so we aren't sitting ducks."

If this had been a month ago, Chat Noir probably would've made a joke about him being a sitting _cat_ not duck, then thank Ladybug for coming to his rescue, kiss her hand, and flawlessly drop a 'm'lady', but this was not one month ago. 

So instead, he just gave her a brief nod, not lifting his head to look at her because then he would see the hurt on her face. He knew that this was hurting her, too. Yet, it would be better for them in the long run, right?

"Chat?" Ladybug asked at his prolonged silence.

"The akuma is in their microphone, I'm guessing." He told her, channeling his inner Nathalie to make his voice as devoid of emotions as possible. 

"Well come on then kitty, we've got a nasty bug to catch." He could hear the forced happiness in Ladybug's voice, how she said his nickname almost out of desperation. It was almost enough for him to scoop her into his arms and run off with her into the sunset apologizing over and over for how he had been acting.

But he didn't.

A black-spotted red hand appeared in his vision as he felt the yo-yo loosen. Gulping, he placed his hand in Ladybug's, but dropped it as soon as he was back on his feet.

"What's the plan?" He asked her, keeping his eyes on the school's courtyard.

"Well, it seems as if the powers of the akuma are relatively harmless, but I wasn't the one to be up close and purrsonal." Ladybug bumped his shoulder. Chat Noir sighed.

A cat pun and physical touch? 

Oh she was not making things easy for him. 

"Sorry." He heard her mutter after a moment. For the first time that fight, Chat shifted his gaze over to her. His heart skipped a beat despite seeing her face on the Ladyblog that morning.

Pictures really didn't do her justice.

Her dark midnight hair moved slightly with the breeze. Her bluebell eyes looked at the floor worriedly. She had a light pink blush on her cheeks, a rare sight.

 _'That blush isn't for you._ ' He chided himself. 

Ladybug's lips were pursed together. 

She looked almost...regretful?

"So you think the akuma is in the microphone?" She asked, meeting his eyes for the first time.

He sucked in a breath never prepared for the beauty in her eyes. 

He bit back a flirt and instead nodded his head. He cleared his throat.

"It's the only thing that connects the two of them and they don't have a red shade so it's Hawkmoth not Scarletmoth." Ladybug nodded.

"Good job ki-Chat." Chat looked at her, perplexed. 

"Thanks." Ever since she became Guardian, she had been constantly trying to get him to talk to her while he had been drifting away. It was like they had done a personality shift. 

"Ah, Ladybug and Chat Noir, give us your miraculous!" The two Fabula's said in unison. Ladybug scoffed.

"Go ahead and try!" She grabbed her yo-yo and used it as a shield. She glanced over at Chat. 'Get the mic' She mouthed to Chat. He nodded and felt a smirk come on his face.

The adrenaline was setting in. There were more to akuma fights than his love life. Ladybug or no Ladybug, he loved the thrill of the chase. 

Chat Noir launched at the frowning Fabula tackling him to the ground. With it, the smiling Fabula followed after, tugged by the pull of the microphone wire. 

Chat Noir's objective was simple: get the microphone away from the Fabula. 

If he needed to do that by wrestling then so be it, it couldn't be any weirder than being kidnapped by, well, himself. 

"Get off of me!" The Fabula called from underneath him. Chat Noir's face split into a wicked grin.

"No can do blue. Cataclysm!" He called reaching for the microphone and wanting to make this the shortest akuma fight in history.

But he had forgotten a very, very important detail. 

"Chat watch out!" Ladybug's warning came a millisecond too late as he was encompassed by a bright light. 

"Hahahaha we've got you _helpless_ now." The female Fabula cackled. Chat looked at the other Fabula quizzically nothing seemed to be wrong, the cataclysm was still in his palm, did the powers not work or-?

"Oooooo I do, I do, I do, I do!"

Was that his voice that joined the chorus of others? Yeah, it was.

He wanted to stand, but when he tried to move, he couldn't.

"Oooooo I do, I do, I do, I do!" He sang out again, this time the lyrics were accompanied with laughter. Maybe it was a good thing he couldn't move, because now he couldn't see Ladybug's face as she bursted into laughter. "Boy, you got me helpless!" Chat Noir sang, feeling utterly and totally humiliated. "Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm helpless." He could vaguely hear Ladybug call her lucky charm. "Down for the count and I'm drownin' in 'em." 

How ironic. He was singing about being helplessly in love, haha, very funny akuma. Hawkmoth must've picked up on his actions these past few weeks. 

"I have never been the type to try and grab the spotlight." It was true he had never wanted the spotlight to begin with; it was thrusted upon him the moment he was born. 

"We were at a revel with some rebels on a hot night." He was dimly aware of Ladybug in the background, his senses clouded with the fact that he needed to sing and he needed to sing _now._

"Laughin' at my sister as she's dazzling the room." He could only hope that Alya was either hiding or had been struck herself because if this were to be put on the Ladyblog, he'd never be able to show his face in public again.

Sure, the lyrics were in English, but plenty of people in France spoke the language and those who didn't could always use Google Translate. 

"Then you walked in and my heart went. 'Boom!'" He remembered the first ever akuma attack, how pretty much immediately Ladybug had caught his eye. She was the first friend he ever had, besides Chloe and she was _amazing._

Yes, she had her flaws and imperfections, but she overcame them flawlessly and that's what got him to fall in love. How the girl behind the mask could rise up to the occasion.

"Tryin' to catch your eye from the side of the ballroom." Over time, they had gotten into this chase, the two of them. Him playing the cat, always playing the cat, never able to truly catch his lady, because she wasn't his to catch.

And that was the cruel truth.

"Everybody's dancin' and the band's top volume." He sang. The song didn't exactly match what he was feeling anymore. This was all about new love and the exhilaration. Not trying to move on because you needed too. 

"Grind to the rhythm as we wine and dine." Chat sang, his body becoming tired because after the Fabula had moved out from underneath him, he was essentially doing a one-handed plank with the other hand full of a charged cataclysm. 

"Grab my sister and whisper," He hoped that whatever Ladybug was doing, she was going to finish it quickly. He wanted to finish his conversation with Marinette.

"'Yo this one's mine.'" Marinette. Oh he hoped she was safe.

"My sister made her way across the room to you." He heard the sounds of battle going on around them and he wished he wasn't incapacitated because then he could actually help! And keep an eye out for Marinette to make sure that she was okay.

"And I got nervous, thinking, 'what's she gonna do?" Maybe Ladybug had seen Marinette or even rescued her! They apparently were close friends after all, which he had gathered after Evilustrator, only for it to be proven when Marinette became Multimouse. 

"She grabs you by the arm I'm thinkin', 'I'm through'." It was a pleasant thought, Marinette and Ladybug being friends. He wondered idly if Ladybug knew about her crush on him.

"Then you look back at me and suddenly I'm helpless!" That's right! Marinette had a crush on him! And on Chat Noir no less! He wondered when she had first fallen for him, they hadn't interacted a whole lot. 

"Oh, look at those eyes!" He hoped that Marinette was getting over him okay, Luka was an amazing guy and she deserved to be happy! But, he was honored to think that such an amazing girl had chosen _him_ out of all people to love. 

"Oh!" Still, he couldn't get his hopes up too much on him being her one and only love. She had slow danced with Luka yesterday, an action that had struck up a feeling of protectiveness in the boy, but he couldn't figure out why for the life of him.

"Yeah, I'm helpless!" But, she had also slow danced with him. To the song they first ever danced to and he knew it was her favorite. He couldn't help but feel smug that _he_ had gotten her first dance and not Luka. 

"I know." He couldn't help but wonder what this emotion was whenever he was around Marinette. He liked to call it 'warmth', but not everybody would be able to understand what he meant by that. 

"Down for the count" He was definitely thankful for Marinette's friendship, it was a treasure within itself and he found himself enjoying any time he was in her presence, stutter and all.

"And I'm drownin' in 'em." Of course, there was the wax museum prank, but she had explained it was all roleplay. She was crazy good at it too! She had him guessing whether or not it truly was roleplay! Just another thing to add to the ever-growing list of her talents.

"I am so into you." He sang. He couldn't help but wonder what her reaction would be if Marinette saw Chat Noir now. Would she still love him?

"I am so into you." The fact that he was singing a love song was not lost on him. The girl that he loved was madly in love with someone else and even if she wasn't they couldn't be together because she was Guardian. Boo. 

"I'm helpless." The girl he was trying to move onto was everything he should've wanted! She was strong and brave and incredibly pretty and she would understand his problems because she went through them herself! Yet, something wasn't clicking. For whatever reason, it just didn't work with him. He enjoyed her companionship! He really did! But, whenever he thought he was ready for more and tried to make a move, he found himself retracting it. Maybe that was the process of getting over someone. He didn't know. He had never tried to get over someone before. And it had only been a few weeks! That's not a whole lot of time, he was probably just moving too fast.

"You know I'm down for the count and I'm drowning in 'em." He sang. Then there was Marinette. She liked him as Chat Noir, so could she possibly be an option for him?

Nah, Marinette was just a friend! Besides, there's Luka!

If he showed up serenading her as Chat Noir it would only cause a new string of problems for him, Marinette, Luka, and Kagami. 

No, it would be simpler if he just tried to move onto Kagami like he originally planned.

Even if that thought caused something to squirm in his stomach. That must be what they mean by butterflies in your stomach!

Of course, it had been different with Ladybug, but Kagami wasn't Ladybug. Different girls, different butterflies. 

Makes perfect sense!

"Chat Noir now!" He heard Ladybug yell as a rope came and scrapped his hand, causing it to turn into ash and for the akuma to be released. He quickly jumped to his feet.

It looked like Ladybug had managed to tangle the Fabula's using their microphone cord. 

_'Clever.'_ He thought before chiding himself. Then he felt annoyed because shouldn't he be allowed to acknowledge a job well done from his partner? 

Ladybug held her fist out for Chat Noir and he met it half-way signaling their signature fist bump.

Ladybug relaxed, letting the very obvious relief show. 

Their miraculous' beeped in unison. After they made sure the akumatized pair was okay, they met on top of the rooftops.

"See you for patrol tonight?" Ladybug asked Chat Noir. That took him aback. She wasn't going to try and talk to him, demanding for questions on why he's shutting her out.

"Y-yeah." He said.

"Great! Bug out!" And with that Ladybug zipped away. He smiled slightly for a moment.

For some reason, his heart hadn't beat as fast as it had a few days ago.

Could it be that this whole 'distance yourself' strategy was actually working? 

He looked down at the courtyard making sure that everyone was recovering alright. He saw Alya lifting Nino up by the hand, Nino holding his head and Marinette!

Dropping his transformation as soon as he was on ground level he rushed down the stairs to meet up with them.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" He asked her, searching her eyes for any sign of discomfort or pain.

"I'm fine, thank you Adrien." She said, with that same delightful blush on her face.

 _'So cute!'_ He thought. She really was adorable. 

"You guys will never believe what I caught on video!" Alya suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" Marinette asked. 

"Ah ah ah! You think I'm letting you touch this phone before I back it up to the hard drive? No way girl!" Marinette pouted.

"That's no fair Alya."

"Oh it's plenty fair! You have caused me to lose many videos and pictures!"

"It was one time!" Marinette protested. Alya gave her a doubtful look.

"Say what you want girl, but I know you're behind the disappearance of the famed LadyNoir kiss. I'm the only person who got the evidence, but the next week, poof it was gone!" Nino patted Alya's back consolingly.

"And why do you think _I_ caused it?" Marinette asked.

"Because _you're_ the only one with access to my website who isn't a fan of LadyNoir." Alya said. Marinette pouted.

"She's got a point there, Mari." Nino said. Marinette groaned. 

"You all are impossible."

"Even me?" Adrien pouted. "And here I thought we were friends." Marinette smiled shyly.

"We are."

"The only reason that she still likes you is because she hasn't gotten to know the real Adrien Agreste yet." Nino teased. 

"Oh?" Alya raised an eyebrow. "Do tell." Nino smirked.

"Nah, I'll let Marinette see it for herself." Adrien shook his head wondering what he did to deserve his friend tormenting. 

"Oh be quiet Nino." Adrien said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, uh, Adrien?" Marinette asked. Adrien turned his attention to the smaller girl.

"Yeah? What's up Marinette?" 

"About what we were talking about earlier..." She trailed off. Adrien looked at her and smiled. "Actually, you know what? Never mind. It's nothing."

Something told Adrien that it wasn't nothing, but he didn't want to push her.

"Oh! Okay, well if it does turn out to be something let me know alright?" Marinette nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind. And you know the same goes for you, right?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, if you ever need anything just let me know. You've got my number, right?" Marinette asked him. Adrien nodded.

"So, if you ever need any advice just shoot me a text, okay?" He nodded.

"Definitely." Alya and Nino watched the exchange, speechless.

"Well, we should probably get to class." Marinette said.

"Of course, we wouldn't want to be late, now would we?" Marinette laughed.

"Me? Late? Never!"

"Practically unheard of!" The two of them walked off. "You are actually early today though." He mused.

"My mom set my alarm for an hour earlier, it won't work tomorrow, but it's a good way of keeping me on my toes." Adrien nodded.

"Sticking to schedule isn't really a problem for me." He told her.

"Oh really?" Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you have so many tardies? Don't think I don't notice all the times the famous Mr. Agreste is less-than-perfect." Adrien put a finger to his lips.

"Shhh, don't tell my dad." They laughed again.

It was nice being with Marinette like this.It gave him hope that they really could have an amazing friendship, the fact that they bantered so easily was uncanny to anything he'd ever experienced before.

Well, except for Ladybug, but Ladybug was an exception. They were partners, and had tons of trust for one another because of the situations they've had. 

But Marinette, of course, hung out with Marinette in groups a lot, but not so much one-on-one, yet they still acted like old friends. Falling into a pattern he didn't even know they had. 

He never experienced that with anyone else before.

"He'd never let you out of the house again." Marinette laughed. The bell rang and Adrien and Marinette glanced at each other.

"Late again?" Marinette groaned. Adrien shrugged.

"You are the late princess." He teased, surprised at how easy it came out. Marinette scrunched up her nose.

"That makes me sound like I'm a dead princess." Adrien laughed.

"So, on a more serious note, you'll be able to help me out with Kagami?" He asked her. Marinette pursed her lips, Adrien was about to ask her what was wrong, but then she nodded. 

"Of course, text me tonight and we can figure out what you're going to say, sound good?" Marinette asked him, but it seemed to him that the sparkle in her eye had dimmed, just a bit and he wondered what had caused it.

"Sounds great!" He said excitedly as they slipped into their classroom. Luckily, thanks to the akuma attack not a whole lot of people were there which made it easy for Adrien and Marinette to slip in unnoticed. 

Alya and Nino appeared a few minutes later, both of them looking wide eyed at their respective best friends. As soon as Adrien saw Nino's expression he gulped because he knew that Nino would not let him go without an explanation.

Sure enough, as soon as Nino slid in next to him he got a buzz in his pocket.

**Nino: Start talking**

**Adrien: About?**

**Nino: Marinette dude! You guys were totally flirting back there!**

Adrien felt his face become red. Were they flirting? He didn't think so, it was more of a witty banter. Yeah! Witty banter.

**Adrien: We were just talking**

**Nino: That's bs and you know it, dude**

**Adrien: I'm serious!**

**Nino: I stg if you say that Mari is just a friend I might kill you**

Adrien paused from typing, getting Nino's message in the middle of spelling 'friend' and looked up to see his so called best friend shooting daggers at him.

**Nino: You left me in the dust for her!**

**Nino: ME! Your best friend!**

Adrien let out a long sigh.

**Adrien: Don't do this Nino**

**Adrien: I've had enough girl drama to last a century**

**Nino: ???**

Adrien hesitated, wondering if he could tell Nino. Well, of course he could tell Nino, but there was something about keeping it between him and Marinette that was just so appealing. 

**Nino: I get it**

**Nino: You won't tell me your BEST FRIEND what's up but you'll tell Marinette?**

Adrien looked up, worried that Nino was mad, but instead he found his best friend grinning with amusement. 

**Adrien: Well...**

**Adrien: It's hard to explain...**

**Adrien: I just am kinda naturally drawn to her...?**

He heard Nino guffaw, something he had never heard before. He shot him a confused look only to be met with grinning.

**Nino: Dude, just exactly how much are you drawn to her?**

**Adrien: Well, it just happens!**

**Nino: But why do you think you're drawn to her?**

**Adrien: Idk**

**Adrien: I trust her...?**

**Nino: Even more than your best friend?**

He had a point. 

**Adrien: Well, there's more to it than that...**

**Nino:???**

**Adrien: I just feel safe around her and treasure her**

**Adrien: She's so 'warm' you know?**

He heard a loud _'clang'_ to see that Nino had dropped his phone on the desk and was looking between it and Adrien, his jaw dropped.

"You good?" Adrien whispered. Nino shook his head, grabbed his phone and started texting rapidly. 

**Nino: Yes dude, I know**

**Nino: Half of the guys in the class know!**

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows, now what was he going on about.

**Nino: That's the same feeling Nath got at the beginning of the year**

Wait....

**Nino: The same feeling I got so suddenly, before Ladybug locked me in the cage with Alya**

Oh no.....

There was no way!

No possible way! 

Nino could not be saying what Adrien thought he was saying!

**Adrien: What are you saying man?**

**Nino: I'm saying that you have a crush on Marinette**


	5. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien decides to sneak out and goes on an unexpected shopping trip!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like torturing Adrien through dreams...

One thing that Adrien had learned over the course of time that luck really wasn't on his side.

Take his dreams for example.

Before deciding to get over her, dreams about Ladybug were definitely not uncommon, but he had his mix of nightmares, random dreams that made no sense, and nights where he didn't dream at all. But ever since deciding to get over Ladybug, for real, his dreams threw her in every night and Adrien was getting so tired of it.

Last night was no different. 

He was holding hands with a girl with long dark hair.

"Come on Adrien! Won't you tell me where we're going already?" The girl had a red blindfold on. Somehow he knew that it was a de-transformed Ladybug he was with.

"Nope! I want it to be a surprise!" He chirped happily forging ahead.

"Adrien." The girl whined.

"I want this to be a surprise, my love." The girl's cheeks turned pink.

"Oh." She whispered.

 _'So adorable!'_ Adrien thought.

"Now come on! We're almost there!" He said, starting to run and pulling the girl behind him.

"Woah!" Both of them erupted into giggles as they arrived at their destination. Adrien let go of the girl's hand temporarily to fix the beret that he had grown so accustomed to.

"So will you show me where we are now my prince?" His heart skipped a beat as it did every time she donned him his signature nickname.

"Perhaps my" He stopped himself from saying _'lady',_ but why? "love." He finished. Stepping behind her he started to work on the knot. "I've got something to go with our destination." He said as the blindfold fell. He heard the girl gasp.

"The Pont des Arts? Oh Adrien." The girl leaned back into him as one of his arms snaked around his waist. The other reached into his pocket and pulled out the entire reason for coming here.

"I thought maybe you would like to..." He trailed off showing her the custom made lock. It was a silver heart with pink diamonds scattered like stars. He felt the girl suck in a breath. Was he coming on too strong?

"Oh Adrien! I love it!" The girl turned around and his lips met hers. The butterflies in his stomach exploded as soon as he tasted her sweetness. He couldn't help it, every time she kissed him it felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. Every part of him had sensory overload. And yet he still wanted more, her kisses were addicting and he _loved_ them just like he loved her. 

"Happy Anniversary love." He told her after they finally broke apart, eyes closed.

 _'Soon, you'll tell her soon.'_ He thought to himself. 

"Happy Anniversary." The girl turned back around and grabbed the lock as Adrien opened his eyes. She walked ahead and placed it on the lock. Then, she turned around her bluebell eyes sparkling, the light pink contrasting against her freckles. 

"I love you Adrien." She told him.

"I love you too, Marinette."

Adrien shot up in bed. 

_'What the hell was that?'_ He thought. 

The girl he was dreaming about was _Marinette?_ Not _Ladybug?_ That made no sense! He rubbed his eyes.

"Was it the same nightmare?" Plagg asked him. Adrien shook his head, his brows furrowed, his mind going a mile a minute.

_'Why was I dreaming about Marinette? Why were we dating? What did I need to tell her? What about Ladybug? I could've sworn that it was her, not Marinette!'_

"Well, are you going to tell me what happened?" 

"Sorry Plagg. It was the strangest thing, at first I thought I was dreaming about Ladybug and I dating. As Adrien Agreste and her civilian self. I took her to Pont des Arts and she kissed me and put on a lock, but" he sighed, "when she turned around it was Marinette." Plagg's eyes grew wide. "I know right? So strange." Plagg muttered something under his breath that Adrien didn't catch. "What was that?" He asked.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. So, you dreamt about dating Marinette?" Plagg asked. 

"That's the thing! I was so sure that it was Ladybug Plagg! Not Marinette!" Plagg hummed.

"Maybe it's a sign for you to start moving on to Marinette instead of Kagami." Adrien snorted.

"Now you're starting to sound like Nino, he said the exact same thing." Adrien opened up his phone and started to reread the messages between him and Nino.

**Nino: I'm saying that you have a crush on Marinette**

Adrien could hardly believe it. It seemed like everyone was convinced that he had a crush on Marinette. 

He didn't.

He couldn't.

He wouldn't.

**Adrien: No way man!**

**Nino: I hope you can feel the skeptical look I'm giving you through the phone**

Adrien had looked up and sure enough, Nino was giving him a look that told him that his best friend didn't believe his words. He had felt his face heat up. Even now a light pink lit up his cheeks at the memory.

**Adrien: I swear dude!!!**

**Nino: Yeah-huh**

**Nino: You don't have a crush on Mari**

Adrien had been glad Nino saw sense, he should've known better in hindsight. 

**Nino: You only tell her things that nobody else know**

**Nino: And slow dance with her**

**Nino: And look at her adoringly all. The. Time.**

If Adrien had been blushing before.....

**Nino: And feel 'warm' around her**

**Nino: But that's TOTALLY** **not a crush!**

**Adrien: It isn't!!!!**

**Nino: Well, for someone who doesn't like her, you certainly act like you do**

**Adrien: I honestly don't!**

**Nino: Uh-huh**

**Adrien: I mean sure, I want to spend as much time as I possibly can with her**

**Nino: SEE**

**Adrien: But that's because I want to be her FRIEND**

**Adrien: You know, it wasn't until recently that I actually learned that she didn't completely hate me?**

**Adrien: I'm going to take every chance that I can get to hang out with her and if that chance comes in the form of slow dancing with her, then okay**

**Nino: So when you slow-danced with her that didn't have ANY romantic intent behind it?**

**Adrien: NO!**

**Adrien: I just really want to know her**

**Adrien: She seems like she would be an amazing best friend, but I need to earn that title**

**Nino: She's not going to replace me is she? *sobs***

**Adrien: No way dude!**

**Adrien: You'll always be my first true friend**

**Nino: Thanks dude!**

**Nino: You know, I could totally help you with setting you and Marinette up**

**Nino: As friends of course**

**Adrien: Of course**

The conversation had ended there, the teacher had passed out a worksheet and demanded "absolute silence" and Adrien would rather not be caught on his phone and get in trouble.

What he had told Nino was absolutely true. Adrien _really_ wanted to know Marinette better. She was the first friend he had ever made because he wanted to! Not because of parents or status, but because he truly wanted to know her. 

He was glad that they were becoming closer friends these past couple of weeks. Sure, they hadn't hung out a whole lot one-on-one, but nearly everyday they went to lunch with Alya and Nino. Her stuttering had gone down quite a bit and this new Marinette that he had only seen from afar was coming out. He liked it a lot.

He liked it so much that he had told her about Ladybug and Kagami. Even if he didn't use names he still told her about his problem that not even Nino knew! 

Maybe it was because he wanted to become even better friends with her and he found this way to connect to her.

Maybe it was something else.

Maybe it was the reason he felt so warm around her.

Whatever it was that still didn't explain his dream!

"Well, maybe he's on to something, kid." Adrien gave Plagg a look that said 'drop it.' "I'm just saying, you don't have to get so defensive." Plagg muttered. Adrien sighed.

"I'm sorry too, but moving on to Kagami is what's best for everyone." He told his kwami. Plagg opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it.

"Alright, if you say so."

"Adrien?" A voice called as the owner knocked on his door.

"Yes Nathalie?" He called.

"You are expected in the dining room." She said, Adrien heard her walk away, her shoes echoing in the halls. Adrien exchanged glances with Plagg and shrugged. 

Was his father actually going to sit down and have a meal with him?

"Adrien." Gabriel greeted once Adrien had arrived.

"Good morning father." Adrien greeted him. 

"Go ahead and sit down son." Adrien blinked in surprise, it wasn't often that Gabriel called him "son."

"Is there anything wrong?" He asked, taking his seat.

"No, nothing is wrong. I just need to ask you a few questions."

"Okay, what about?"

"Your relationship with Mlle. Tsurugi." Adrien blinked, taken aback. His father never asked about any of his friends before, much less any romantic interests of his.

"What about it?" He asked.

"Would I be wrong to assume that there's something deeper than friendship going on?" Gabriel asked. Adrien's silence answered for him. "I thought so." Gabriel leaned forward as Adrien averted his gaze to the table. "If you would like to date Mlle. Tsurugi, you have my blessing." Adrien's head shot up.

"Really?" Adrien asked a smile forming on his face. His father's blessing was not an easy one to get. Yet another reason why dating Kagami is the obvious right choice. 

"Yes. It'd be good for the brand." Just like that Adrien's smile switched from real to fake.

 _'The brand. Of course all he cares about is the brand.'_ He thought bitterly. 

"And her status is among our own." Gabriel continued.

"Her status?" Adrien asked. "What does that have to do with anything?" 

"Your name won't be tarnished by dating her. She is not some nobody." Adrien was flabbergasted. All of his life, he knew that his father was stoic, cold, and cared about his brand deeply. Shallow was not a word he would use to describe his father, but this?

If this wasn't shallow, he didn't know what was.

"So, if I chose to date someone who was average or below average, you wouldn't approve?" Adrien asked, making sure that he understood his father correctly.

"Well, they could be a gold-digger or they may not be ready for our lifestyle. Most of them can't handle the responsibility that comes with dating an Agreste."

"It's a simple yes or no, father. Would you let me date someone who was average?" Gabriel met his son's gaze.

"No." He answered. Adrien scoffed quietly.

"You know father, I would like to have breakfast in my room." He told Gabriel, suddenly not wanting to talk to the man anymore. Gabriel waved his son off with his hand.

"I've said what I wanted. You are free to go."

It took all of Adrien's self-control not to stomp back to his room and slam the door like a child, but that would probably make his father upset.

"Adrien-." Plagg started to say, as Adrien stomped to his closet. "I'm sorry." Adrien shook his head.

"I thought he was better than that. I'm his son! Shouldn't he trust my judgement?" He couldn't believe that his father cared so much about status to the point where he would get in the way of his son's love life. "I just don't understand."

"Well, it could be because he doesn't want you getting hurt. Both gold-diggers and people who can't handle the responsibility will break up with you leaving you broken-hearted." Plagg tried to convince Adrien, but it wasn't working. Adrien shook his head as he pulled out the sunglasses and hoodie.

"I'd love to think that's the case, but something tells me it's more about his brand." Adrien said bitterly as he pulled the hoodie on over his head. "After all, what person would buy from a brand where their top model was dating someone middle-class? What a scandal!" He sarcastically remarked and put on his sunglasses. "Well Plagg? Can you tell that it's me?" Adrien asked. 

"What are you planning kid?" Plagg asked warily. Adrien didn't answer; he only grinned and called his transformation words.

"Sorry Plagg, but I need to get out of here." Chat Noir said to his empty bedroom before opening up his window and leaping out. He ran across the rooftops for a while, taking in Paris and all of its beauty. He sat down on a secluded rooftop watching as people walked by.

He debated about dropping his transformation right then, nobody could see him from where he was.

"Alya remind me again why we're doing this?" A voice caught his attention. He looked down to see Marinette being pulled along by Alya on the street.

 _'Princess!'_ He thought happily. Maybe she could cheer him up!

Oh, what was he saying? 

Of _course_ she could cheer him up!

She was Marinette Dupain-Cheng!

"Nino and I are going out Friday and I need your fashion expertise on what to wear!" Alya explained. Chat Noir's mouth quirked into a smile, this could be a good opportunity for him.

He dropped down in an alleyway near the building he was on and de-transformed.

"Sorry Plagg, but I needed to get out of the house." He apologized. 

"Well, it's a good thing pigtails is here to cheer you up." Plagg drawled. Adrien nodded.

"It is, isn't it!" Adrien stepped onto the sidewalk and hurriedly walked over to where Alya and Marinette were. He hesitantly tapped on Marinette's shoulder. Both she and Alya turned around to face him.

"Can I help you?" She asked. Adrien's brows furrowed, wondering why she couldn't recognize him.

Oh wait, he was in disguise. 

"It's me, Mari." He whispered, lowering his sunglasses just enough so she could see his eye.

"Adrien?" Marinette asked. He put his sunglasses back on and nodded. 

"The one and only."

"Agreste?" Alya asked. "Why are you dressed like a Chat Noir fanboy?" Adrien felt a defensive blush rise to his cheeks. The hoodie he was wearing was black with a neon green paw with the words 'Catacylsm!' above it on the back. On the front was another neon paw, but smaller and across the left side of his chest. 

Of course Alya would recognize the hoodie, he had gotten from the LadyBlog merch she had started selling. 

"Hey! Chat Noir's amazing!" Marinette defended. Adrien felt a blush rise to his cheeks. But, it made sense that Marinette would defend Chat Noir seeing that she liked him. Alya raised her hands up in defeat.

"I do too, girl, but you don't see me walking around decked out in merch." She said. Marinette smirked.

"So if I gave you a Ladybug themed outfit you're telling me you _wouldn't_ wear it?" She asked slyly. Alya's jaw-dropped.

"Are you seriously making me a Ladybug themed outfit?" Alya asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. Oh look we're here!" Marinette pointed at the store.

 _'Note to self: Mari is incredibly mischievous, don't get on her bad side, even temporarily.'_ Adrien thought to himself. 

"So what are we looking for?" Adrien asked.

"Alya and Nino are going out Friday, it is our job to make sure Nino's jaw hits the floor when he sees her." Marinette told him. Adrien smirked. 

Oh, this would be fun.

Sure, he wasn't into fashion as much as Marinette or his father was, but he picked up a few things as he continued to do photo shoots and looking at his father's designs. And he certainly knew Nino well enough to know exactly what Alya would need to wear to make him drool.

"Where are you two going?" He asked Alya.

"Some fancy restaurant for lunch." She said. "Nino thinks it'll be less busy if we go during lunch and sophisticated restaurants aren't exactly his happy place." Adrien nodded. "I told him that we didn't have to go there at all, but he said that he wanted to treat me to a proper date, so I'd thought I'd get some new clothes for the occasion." Marinette hummed, deep in thought.

"Well, it needs to be fancy enough for the restaurant, but casual enough for school." She said.

"What about a summer dress?" Adrien suggested. "It's already May, so it's certainly warm enough."

"And they go in pretty much any environment, depending on which one you choose!" Marinette said excitedly. 

"Exactly, perfect for school and the date!" Adrien smiled at the girls, although his gaze lingered on Marinette for a bit longer than he had planned. He couldn't help it, he loved the way her eyes sparkled when she got an idea. 

"Excuse me? Miss?" Alya asked one of the attendants. "Where do you keep your summer dresses?" She asked.

"Oh! Follow me!" The woman said and led them to the back of the store. 

"Hey, you're that girl who runs the LadyBlog, aren't you?" The woman asked Alya once they had arrived. Alya nodded happily.

"That's me!" She chirped.

"My niece is a huge fan! Do you mind if I take a picture?" Alya smiled.

"Of course not!" The woman handed her phone to Adrien, who was more than happy to take a picture instead of being in it. "Oh thank you!" The woman said. "My name is Elsie, call me if you need anything. The dressing room is through that doorway." She pointed at an arch that led to a seating area with three mirrors in front and rooms along the way.

"Thank you Elsie." Marinette said, then rubbed her hands together. "Let's get to work." And thus began a shopping trip so hectic it rivaled Chloe's! 

Marinette grabbed dresses off of the shelves barely bothering to look at them and handed them to Adrien.

"Go ask if we could start a room with these." She told him.

"Ummm," Adrien had been on many shopping trips before with Chloe, but everything had been set up beforehand, so he didn't exactly know how to set up a room.

"Oh I'll do it, you help out Marinette, you're the model after all." Alya said, taking the dresses from Adrien and walking towards the fitting rooms.

"So..." Adrien started to say, not exactly sure how to proceed. Whenever he had gone shopping with Chloe, she had picked out his clothes for him and then ordered to try them on. In fact, between those trips and the fact that his father owns a fashion company, he had never really shopped for himself.

Except for the merch he ordered online. 

"I'm thinking purple, orange, red, white, or an olive green." She told him. "Something that makes her eyes stand out and doesn't majorly contrast with her hair." 

"Would a dark blue work?" He asked, grabbing a short-sleeved, velvet, navy blue dress. Marinette looked at the dress. 

"Sure, we could try it, oh! Look!" She pulled out an orange and white striped sundress. 

"Ooo, nice." 

"Here." She handed him the dress, then picked out an olive green spaghetti-strap dress with white polka dots. "I like this one too."

"Check it out." Adrien pulled a sundress that started as a dark purple at the top, but slowly shifted into red. Marinette looked it over and nodded.

"Nice find."

"Okay guys, I'm back. How many dresses are you going to make me try on?" She asked. Marinette shrugged.

"As many as it takes. We're not leaving until you have the perfect outfit." Adrien chuckled a bit to himself, he admired how focused Marinette was on this, but that was Marinette Dupain-Cheng for you. Once she put her mind to it, she gave it her all. 

"Okay then girl." Alya then joined them in dress hunting.

"What room are you in?" Marinette asked.

"The one on the right closest to the mirrors." Marinette nodded. "Okay, Adrien come with me to get the dresses organized, Alya keep searching."

"Got it girl." 

Adrien followed Marinette into the changing area, a comfortable silence falling between them. 

"So, is there a reason that you didn't text me last night?" Marinette asked abruptly. Adrien's eyes went wide.

Right, they were supposed to talk about what he was going to tell Kagami last night.

"Sorry Marinette. My father had planned some last-minute photo shoots." He explained sheepishly, as they walked into the changing room.

"Photo _shoots_? As in multiple?" Marinette asked, disbelieving. Adrien nodded.

"Yep. By the time I got home my mind was preoccupied with homework and other things, I'm so sor-"

"No! Don't apologize! It's not your fault! I'm sorry for bringing it up, I was just worried that you were mad at me for some reason." Marinette rambled.

"Wait, why would I be mad at you?"Adrien asked. Marinette shrugged her gaze trained on the floor. 

"I don't know." Adrien smiled softly.

"Mari, look at me." She looked up at him, her bluebell eyes meeting his emerald ones concealed by his sunglasses. He felt his breath temporarily leave him, but couldn't figure out why.

Perhaps it was because he had snuck out of the house and was worried about getting caught.

Yeah! That's totally it!

Yeah, totally.

"If I'm _ever_ mad at you, I'd tell you, okay? I promise." He held up his pinky. She latched hers with his.

"Okay, but we still need to figure out what you're going to tell Kagami on Tuesday." Adrien sighed.

"I know, but these dresses aren't going to organize themselves, now are they?" He teased. Marinette smiled.

"No, no they're not." She took the olive dress with polka dots into one pile, the orange striped one into another, the navy blue dress Adrien had picked out into another one, the purple that faded into red in yet another. "Organize them by base color." She instructed. Adrien nodded. Putting a purple dress with white zig-zags across the top in yet another pile. Marinette had picked out a red that faded into a fiery orange into the same pile as the purple into red one was. "And ones that fade into different colors into this one here."

"Got it." Adrien said, recognizing the dress that Marinette had just put into the pile. "Hey, is that a Rena Rouge themed dress? I saw it online while looking up merch." He said casually as he placed a red dress with a white ribbon around the waist into a different pile. 

Marinette nearly dropped the white dress with lavender flowers she was holding.

"Y-yeah." She said.

"That's an interesting choice." He commented, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice as he put a dark green dress with black cuffs into a pile.

"O-oh w-well, I, uh, look at that! No more dresses!" She said as she placed an orange dress into a pile. "Let's go see if Alya has any!" She said, walking out of the room leaving Adrien behind, confused about why she reacted that way. 

"Okay, I've got five new dresses here." Alya said. "I'm going to go and change into each of them." Marinette nodded.

"Sounds like a plan!" She and Adrien sat down next to each other on the couch facing the mirror. "So, what are you doing in disguise anyway?" She asked him. Adrien gave her a bitter smile.

"I needed to get out of the house, but I just couldn't deal with the paparazzi today." He explained.

"Oh, do you want to tell me what happened?" Marinette asked as she placed her hand on his arm. As soon as she touched his arm it felt warm and the reason why he had escaped didn't seem so bleak.

"Well, it started out well enough, my father wanted to speak to me about something." Marinette squeezed his arm comfortingly. 

"Well, what do you think?" Alya said as she stepped out. She was wearing a bright orange dress with black cuffs.

"What critique do you want? Rose-colored glasses technique or brutally honest?" Marinette asked.

"Brutally honest girl! You know I can take it!" Alya winked. Marinette smirked.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Spin for us." Alya spun, the dress flowing out.

"It's nice, but it looks like a Halloween themed-dress. Not exactly a mid-May lunch date." Marinette said. Alya turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. 

"Yeah, you're right."

"First one down, thousands more to go." Adrien joked. Marinette nudged him.

"Only fourteen. The ten we picked out and the five Alya chose. Now, go get into the next one!"

Alya nodded and disappeared again.

"So, what did your dad want to talk about?" Marinette asked.

"It was actually about Kagami." Adrien said.

"O-oh? What about her?" 

"He gave me his blessing for dating her!" He explained.

"Oh." Marinette said quietly. Her hand that had still been on his arm slipped off, leaving him feel like he was lacking something. "But, isn't that a good thing?" She asked just as quiet.

"Yeah, of course it is! But, it's the reasons why he approves that made me so mad."

"What-?"

"Okay next dress!" Alya interrupted, standing in front of them in another navy blue dress that shimmered in the light.

"It's pretty." Adrien commented. "Nino will definitely love it, but-"

"Too fancy for school." Marinette finished his thoughts. "If it were a dinner date I'd say go for that one, but it's not."

"Plus, you'd get too hot in it back in class-."

"If you're going to wear a dark color-."

"Make it strapless." Marinette and Adrien chorused. They glanced at each other and Adrien couldn't help feel heat rise to his cheeks. It was uncanny! They were such good friends they finished each other's thoughts!

"Alright." Alya drawled. "I won't ask any questions about whatever the heck that was." She said.

"Alya!" Marinette scolded her best friend.

"I have more dresses to try on! Bye!" With that, Alya walked back into the changing room. Marinette groaned. 

"She has a point. That was kinda cool." Marinette looked at Adrien.

"What was?"

"Us finishing each other's sentences." He said. Marinette's face lit up in a lovely shade of pink he saw whenever he complimented her. "It's like we're twins!" He said excitedly. He could've sworn that Marinette's smile fell, but then it was back just a few moments later.

"Yeah, like we're twins. Anyway, about your dad." Adrien frowned.

"Right, so he told me that he approved of Kagami because," he sighed. He knew that Marinette looked up to Gabriel Agreste and he didn't want to tarnish his reputation.

"It's okay, you can tell me." She said, placing her hand back on his arm. He smiled at the gesture. 

"Well, it was because of her status that he approved." 

"Okay! I'm back! I hope I didn't interrupt anything!" Alya called walking out in the purple to red dress that Adrien had found. 

"Nope, you're good." Adrien said, looking at Alya as she modeled the dress for them. "It's a nice dress." Marinette smirked.

"Are you just saying that because you were the one to find the dress?" Adrien let out a gasp.

"Why Mari! How could you insinuate such a thing?" She giggled a sound that Adrien wished he heard more of.

"Alright, alright. I deeply apologize." She told him.

"Thank you."

"I do have to admit, it's a nice dress."

"Nice enough for both school and the date."

"We can put it in the maybe pile, if you'd like." Marinette suggested. Alya nodded.

"Yeah, I like the ones that fade into different colors."

"Alright, then go get changed into another dress."

"Three down, twelve more to go!" Alya commented as she disappeared.

"So, her status." Marinette said as she turned to Adrien. He nodded.

"Yep. He approved of her because she's not someone middle-class." He said, the annoyance bubbling up inside of him.

"Seriously?" Marinette asked, obviously appalled. 

"Seriously. Then, I asked him if he would give me his blessing if I decided to date someone who was middle class." Adrien shook his head, "Guess what his answer was?"

"Wow, that's" Marinette let out a huff of indignation. "I can see why you needed to escape." She said. Adrien nodded.

"I know that this brand means a lot to him, but-"

"That's no excuse!" Marinette interrupted. "He has his life, you're allowed to have yours! It's one thing to say no because you're worried that the person is a gold-digger or can't handle the stress or something, but it's another to write off an entire class as all the same!" Marinette ranted. Adrien felt his smile grow.

"Exactly! I knew you would understand!" He said smiling brightly. Marinette's face flushed.

"Yeah well," she placed a strand of hair that had come loose from her pigtails behind her ear. "I just get kinda defensive about my friends. I'm sorry." She gave him a sympathetic smile. He gave her a small one in return.

"It's okay."

"No it's"

"Alright! This is the next dress that I picked out!" It seemed to Adrien that Alya had either the worst timing or the best. 

Adrien took a glance at Marinette as she gave Alya the once-over in a white with black polka dots dress

 _'Worst timing.'_ He decided. _'Definitely the worst timing.'_

Marinette nodded. At first, Adrien thought she really did have telepathic capabilities.

Hey, he lived in a world where he just had to say a few words and a god would be sucked into his ring and transform him into a superhero with notorious bad luck. 

Telepathic capabilities would not surprise him.

But, then he realized he was probably nodding to the dress.

"It looks nice, I like it." She said.

"I do too." Alya commented turning around so she could look at herself in the mirror. 

"Casual enough for school, fancy enough for a nice lunch date." Adrien smiled. "I'm sure Nino would approve as well."

"Let's put it in the maybe pile." Marinette said. Alya nodded and disappeared again. 

"So as I was saying," Marinette started not a second after Alya had left. "It is _not_ okay for your father to write off all middle-class people like that. If you wanted to date someone who was middle-class, then go and do it! Why should your father get to tell you 'no' just because of someone else's heritage?" She continued to rant.

"I'm an Agreste." He muttered. 

"Screw that." Marinette said bitterly. Adrien looked up at her. "So what if you're an Agreste? Have you ever heard the expression 'the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb?' You get to choose who your family is going to be. Whether that's your literal family or people who are in your lives because they were fated to be there! You get to choose, not your father." He smiled feeling much more free than he had when he had left his mansion. 

"Thank you Marinette, that means so much to me."

He was right about Marinette, she could always cheer him up.

"I hope you two appreciate me letting you finish your talk." Alya commented as she walked out in the white dress with flowers on the bottom. "And no, I didn't listen in, but I could tell by your voices that you two were in deep conversation. So me, being the thoughtful friend that I am, decided to let you two have your moment to talk, you're welcome."

"Thanks Alya." Marinette smiled wryly. 

"You're welcome. Now, I don't really care for this dress, it's not my style." She said. Marinette nodded.

"Yeah, you aren't exactly the flowery type." She said, smirking. "Go and veto it and put on another dress."

"What number was that?" Adrien asked.

"Losing count already?" Marinette teased. He smiled and shrugged.

"This is dress number five." Alya said. "Now we're moving on to dress number six." She walked back into the changing room.

"See Alya, I chose for her to be my family. She's my sister and I love her. It's the same deal with Nino, he's my brother and I love him! But," she smiled up at him. "I also know that I'm incredibly grateful for the parents I wound up with. They really care about me and all of my friends. So they're in the family that I chose to have. You have that right too. So use it okay?" She asked him, slipping her hand in his.

"Okay." She gave his hand a soft squeeze and he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her into a tight embrace. His head on her shoulder. "Thank you, my everyday Ladybug." He whispered into her ear. 

"It's my pleasure."

"Ahem." Alya cleared her throat as she stood before them in a Ladybug themed dress. Her eyebrows were raised and Adrien wasn't fond of the look on her face. "I was going to ask you two what you think of the dress, but it seems like you were too busy." She smirked.

"ALYA!" Marinette borderline shrieked at the girl.

"We were just talking!" Adrien protested.

"Yeah! Just talking! Now, about that dress, do you really want to wear a _Ladybug_ dress on your date with Nino?" Marinette asked. Adrien found that statement rather contradictory seeing as she picked out a Rena Rouge dress for Alya to wear. "And also, weren't you the one making fun of Adrien for wearing Chat Noir merch earlier?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

"I wasn't making fun of him!" Alya protested. "I was just surprised, that's all! Agreste seemed more like a Ladybug fan than a Chat Noir one." She said. "But, I guess since you know Chat Noir personally,"

 _'You don't know half of it.'_ Adrien thought to himself.

"I guess it would make sense that you would have his merch." Alya finished

"Was that hoodie from him?" Marinette asked. "That seems like his style." She muttered under her breath. 

"No, I just bought it for myself and while I am a Ladybug fan," He ignored his hearts protest about how he was so much more than a fan and his brain shouting at his heart, replaying the rejections over and over and over again. "I also like Chat Noir. You can be a fan of both!" Alya nodded. 

"I never said you couldn't. I just thought that if you were going to be walking around in hero-themed clothing, it'd be Ladybug not Chat Noir." Adrien bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Although, what she said wasn't exactly untrue. 

If he hadn't decided to get over Ladybug, then he probably would be walking around head-to-toe in red and black, but he wasn't.

 _"Anyway,_ we should move on to the next dress." Marinette said. "Veto that one. Get hero merch if you'd like. Hell, even I have merch! But, I wouldn't show up to a date decked out in Chat Noir themed clothing." Alya scoffed.

"That's right. I forgot you preferred Chat Noir to Ladybug." She said, playfully scowling. "So ashamed, so ashamed."

"Oh, just go get dressed!" Marinette nearly yelled. Alya laughed. Adrien turned to look at Marinette, expecting her to be at least a little embarrassed that Alya suspected of her crush on Chat Noir, but she seemed perfectly fine to him.

Hell, _he'd_ caused her to get more flustered than this!

"You don't seem as embarrassed as I thought you would be." He muttered, not expecting her to hear it.

"What?" She asked. His face flushed, embarrassed at being caught.

"W-well, she's suspicious that you have a crush on Chat Noir!" He explained in a hushed voice for Marinette's sake. Marinette's eyebrows furrowed and her eyes grew wide.

"Oh! Yeah that, she uh, nah. She wouldn't know about that." She said waving it off and looking anywhere but at Adrien.

"Are you sure?" He asked her.

"Sure I'm sure!" She squeaked. "Could we maybe not talk about it anymore?" He felt a wave of guilt rise up in him. Of _course_ she didn't want to talk about her crush on Chat Noir, he didn't like talking about his crush on Ladybug!

"S-sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. I know rejections hurt." Marinette looked down at the ground and nodded.

"That they do." He wanted to apologize again, for causing her pain. He never wanted to hurt her, but leading her on would have been so much worse. 

"I really am sorry and he is too! He told me!" Adrien rushed to explain. Marinette smiled.

"I know he is. I'm sure it couldn't be easy, rejecting someone after all of the rejections from Ladybug, but I'm thankful he was honest with me." She turned to look at Adrien and he searched her eyes for any signs of sadness.

And there it was, but it wasn't the type of sadness he was expecting.

He was expecting hurt or an angry sadness, instead all he saw was guilt.

But why?

"Okay, this is the final dress that I picked out! What do you guys think?" She asked. She had come out in a white and black striped dress. Marinette turned to look at Alya and smiled. 

"It looks great!" She said, smiling happily.

"Thank you!"

"But, you should choose between that one and the polka-dotted one." Marinette said. 

"Yeah, which pattern do you like better? Stripes or dots?" He asked.

"Um, stripes." Alya decided. 

"Okay, so go and veto the polka-dot one and we'll keep this one!" Marinette told her enthusiastically, all signs of her sadness gone.

"Sounds good!" Alya walked back into the dressing room to change. Leaving a comfortable silence between Marinette and Adrien.

"So," he started to say. "Any new designs lately?" He asked. Marinette turned to him and nodded enthusiastically. 

"Yeah! A ton! I've been working on something that's gonna take up a ton of my time!" She said.

"Can I see it?" Adrien asked.

"Well, it's really nothing special, but I've been working on some new summer designs." Marinette said.

"Yeah?"

"Yep! Dresses, shirts, new outfits. It helps that the summer brings new inspiration." Adrien smiled.

"I'm sure it does."

"Okay, you guys!" Alya stepped out in the olive dress with polka dots. "This is the next contender, what do you think?" She asked.

"It looks good on you for sure, but is it your style? You said you were more of a stripes person than a polka-dot person." Marinette commented.

"Well, I adore the color, but you're right. It's not exactly my style." 

"So veto?" Adrien asked.

"Veto." Both the girls chorused.

"On to the next dress!" Marinette cheered.

"Yay." Adrien said weakly.

"Tired?" Marinette asked. He nodded.

"Not physically, but man shopping is exhausting." Marinette giggled.

"This is nothing, you should see when there's a sale. I have some pretty crazy shopping stories to tell." She told him chuckling a bit.

"Oh?" Marinette nodded.

"Remember how calm I was when we were being chased all around town by a bunch of your fangirls?" Adrien nodded. "Well, one time, I was shopping at this really high-end fabric store. I had saved up money to get this special type of fabric that was going on sale that day. I managed to get the last little bit, but once people realized that their favorite fabric was sold out and I had the last little bit. Well, let's just say that I've dealt with more crowds than I would like." Marinette then started to laugh. "You should see your face!" She said, still laughing.

"Does it look horrified?" She nodded, still laughing.

"That's because I am!" 

"Oh my gosh! Marinette!" They heard Alya call from within the changing room.

"Yeah?" Marinette asked. Alya stepped out in the Rena Rouge dress.

"Did _you_ find this girl?" She asked. Marinette nodded. "Thank you!" Alya ran over to hug Marinette.

"I thought Ladybug was your favorite." Adrien mused. 

"She is, but Rena is a close second. Besides, her clothes match my color pallet better." Alya remarked. Adrien was still a tad bit confused. 

"Spin for me." Marinette told Alya. "It looks great!"

"So you'll let her go on a date in a Rena Rouge dress, but not a Ladybug one?" Adrien asked, his eyebrows raised.

"W-well, I-."

"Oh cut her some slack. This dress isn't an obvious Rena Rouge dress. You don't look at it and think 'Rena Rouge' unless you were well-versed in super-heroing or fashion. With a red dress with back spots, it's the complete opposite." Alya said. "I love it, thanks for finding it for me. Now, I'm going to go and change into another dress okay?"

"Okay!" Marinette cheered happily. 

"So, who's your favorite hero?" Adrien asked. Marinette gave him a look. "What?"

"You seriously don't know who my favorite hero is?" She asked, laughing a bit to herself.

"I meant besides Chat Noir!" Adrien defended, still feeling a bit of heat rush to his cheeks. Marinette hummed.

"Rena Rouge is probably my second favorite." She said after a moment of thinking. "You?"

"Definitely Carapace." Marinette's mouth lifted into a secret smile. Out of all of the heroes he worked with, Carapace and him just clicked. Not as well as him and Ladybug of course, but he really enjoyed fighting alongside Carapace. "Then Rena." He and Rena had gotten along from the start. She had bite and it was fun bantering with her. Not as fun as bantering with Ladybug, though. 

"And where's Ladybug and Chat Noir on that list?" She asked, sounding amused. "You're friends with one half of the duo." Adrien paused deep in thought.

Beforehand, he would've said Ladybug was his number hero and he was her number one fan but was saying that she was his favorite hero and he was her biggest fan really helping him get over her? 

"I uh,"

"Okay! Next dress!" Alya stepped out in the navy blue dress Adrien had found. "What do you think? It's the same color than the other one, but it's a lot more casual." Alya remarked spinning around.

"Yeah, it looks nice on you." Adrien was honestly glad at the intervention. Marinette looked at him suspiciously, but turned to Alya and nodded.

"Does it feel too small or too big?" Marinette asked. Alya shook her head.

"Nope!" Marinette smiled.

"It looks better than I thought it would." She murmured. "Alright, put it in the keep pile." She said loudly. Alya nodded and disappeared behind the curtain.

"See? I can pick out good clothes!" Adrien said triumphantly before Marinette could bring up Ladybug and Chat Noir again.

"I suppose you can, good job. I might have to take you dress shopping with me one of these days." She winked. Adrien's heart fluttered at the aspect of getting to hang out with Marinette more.

"Yeah, that sounds great." He agreed. "This is the only fun shopping trip I've been on." He told her. "All the others were courtesy of Chloe." Marinette giggled. He smiled.

"I'm sure that was fun." She remarked.

"Oh it definitely was." Adrien said sarcastically. Both of them giggled.

"Don't worry. I'll make you enjoy shopping trips." Marinette winked. This playful side of her really needed to come out more around him.

"Well, this was by far the funnest shopping trip I've ever been on." He said. 

"Good, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

"Alright, this is the next dress." Alya walked out in the red dress with the ribbon.

"Nice, but too Christmasy for late June." Marinette told her.

"Is Christmasy even a word?" Adrien teased.

"It is if I want it to be." Marinette stuck her tongue out at him. An action he found incredibly adorable.

"All right then." He said, raising his hands up. "I have to agree with Mari on this one though, the color scheme is rather 'Christmasy.'" He said winking at Marinette. She crossed her arms.

"Whatever." She muttered underneath her breath with a faint blush. Adrien bit back a laugh.

"Alright then, only four more dresses!" Alya said, winking. "How are you feeling Adrien?" She asked him.

"Honestly?" Alya nodded. "A little disappointed. It means that my hang-out time with you guys is coming to a close." He shrugged.

"Well, after dresses we still have accessories and we can still go window shopping. We don't mind you hanging out, now do we Mari?" Marinette shook her head.

"You're welcome to join us for as long as you'd like Adrien." She told him happily. He broke into a huge grin. The warmth he always felt when he was around Marinette was rising. 

"I'll hang out with you guys as long as I can without getting caught, just don't tell my father."

"Our lips are sealed." Alya promised him.

"Agreed." Marinette nodded. "Now, we have more dresses to try on!" She cried. "Go and put them on!" Marinette said, pushing Alya into the changing room.

"Okay okay! I'm going, girl!" Adrien watched the exchange and laughed. 

"Thanks for inviting me to stick around." He said to Mari.

"No problem! We don't get to hang out as much as we should." Adrien nodded solemnly. 

"Our schedules keep us pretty busy, don't they?" Marinette nodded.

"With commissions, Kitty Section, school, helping out in the bakery, I'm booked." Adrien looked at her sympathetically. Oh boy did he know how being too busy to breathe felt.

"Yeah and I've got photo shoots, piano, fencing, Chinese, school..."

 _'Chat Noir.'_ He thought.

"A full plate." Marinette commented.

"A very full plate." He agreed

"Well, that just means that we have to make the best about the time that we have together!" Marinette said cheerfully.

"Yeah." He agreed.

"Alright guys, what about this one?" Alya stepped out in the purple zig-zag dress.

"Too big or too small?" Marinette asked. Alya shook her head.

"Is it your style?" Adrien asked. Alya nodded.

"Comfortable?" Marinette and Adrien chimed in at the same time.

"Very." Alya smiled.

"Keep it." Adrien said. He saw Marinette nod out of the corner of his eye. It felt good to be recognized by her.

"Okay then, I've only got two more dresses and then we can decide which one would be the best for my date with Nino." Adrien and Marinette nodded happily. 

"Which one is going to make his draw drop." Marinette said.

"Which one is going to make nino.exe.stop.working." Adrien finished. Marinette let out a small giggle. 

He smiled at the fact that she seemed a lot more comfortable around him than she had before, maybe his luck was starting to go his way. 

"So, which dress so far do you like the most?" Marinette asked.

"In general or for Alya?" He asked. Marinette shrugged.

"Both."

"In general probably that midnight one that sparkled. That was very pretty, but it didn't seem like Alya if you know what I mean." Marinette nodded. "For Alya, probably the Rena Rouge dress." Adrien could've sworn that he heard Marinette snicker, but he must have been hearing things.

"S-sorry. The Rena Rouge one?" She asked at his confused expression.

"Yeah, what about you? Which is your favorite?" 

"For Alya or in general?" Marinette repeated his question.

"Both." Adrien repeated her answer.

"For Alya I have to agree with you. The Rena Rouge one looks perfect on her and I'm sure Nino would be stunned." Adrien nodded in agreement. "In general I really like that purple to red dress that you picked out." Adrien could've sworn that his heart stopped working for a split second. 

Her favorite dress was one that _he_ had picked out. 

"O-oh. C-cool!" He stuttered, surprising the two of them.

 _'Get it together Agreste! What is wrong with you?'_ He asked himself. 

"Yeah, I think it's cool."

"Alright guys." Alya stepped out in the plain orange dress. "I like the color, but I think that it's too plain." She said, looking in the mirror. Marinette nodded.

"Yeah, it needs sparkle. A wow factor. Even if that was just a ribbon, it would help a lot." Adrien nodded. 

"Okay! Last dress! Then it's decision time!" 

"What was the last dress?" Adrien asked Marinette. She shrugged. 

"Honestly? I can't remember. I kinda just grabbed anything that caught my eye." She told him sheepishly. Adrien laughed.

"S-sorry. I don't mean to laugh, but that's such a _Marinette_ thing to do!" He said. 

"Is that a bad thing?" Marinette asked nervously.

"Oh no!" Adrien reassured her. "Quite the contrary, it means that you are super passionate about it! That's a good thing! In fact it's something many people want, but they can't get." He explained. "Being Marinette is definitely a good thing." He told her. "I think we could all be a little more Marinette sometimes." He said, nudging her. Her face lit up.

"T-thank you Adrien." He smiled at her wholeheartedly.

"It's nothing. Just honesty." He told her.

"Okay, this is the last dress!" Alya stepped out in the dark green dress. "What do you guys think?" She said spinning. 

"That looks like a Chat themed dress." Adrien mused. Marinette nudged his side playfully. 

"Oh, be quiet." She muttered.

"It does, doesn't it." Alya remarked. "I think that the only superhero that I want to wear is Rena Rouge."

"That's a good idea Alya." Marinette said. "Go take it off and bring out the dresses we decided to keep so that way we can figure out which one you're going to wear." Alya saluted her and went back into the room. 

"Chat Noir colors, huh? I thought you'd be the one to wear his colors out of any of us." Adrien remarked.

"Oh, just be quiet." She muttered. "You're the one who is wearing his merch."

"I'm also the one who knows him personally, so I think I'm allowed to wear his merch." Marinette opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it. It was a shame, he had wanted to hear what Marinette had to say.

Would she tell Adrien that she _did_ know Chat personally? They had hung out a few times and he even had a signature nickname for her.

Or was she going to say something else? Whatever it was, she shut her mouth and turned back to the changing room, staring it down as if willing Alya to come out.

"You know a watched pot never boils." Adrien mused. She shook her head.

"It actually doesn't matter if you watch it or not, time passes in the same amount regardless of what you do." Adrien sighed.

"Okay! Here's all the dresses that we agreed on!" There was the red to purple dress, the Rena Rouge dress, the black and white striped dress, the navy blue dress, and the purple with zig-zags dress.

"Okay first off, which ones feel like your style?" Adrien asked. Alya hummed looking over the dresses for a moment before holding two up.

"Probably not these." It was the midnight dress and the red to purple dress. Adrien tried not to show his hurt at the dresses he chose being kicked out so early, but Marinette's quiet laughter told him that he had failed.

"So that leaves the Rena Rouge dress, the striped dress, and the purple with zig-zags dress." Marinette said, looking over the options.

"I feel like the striped dress is just a bit too casual." Alya said. Marinette nodded.

"It'd be nice on a summer day hang-out, but not a fancy date."

"And then there were two." Adrien said, rubbing his hands together. "Rena Rouge or purple?" He asked the girls. Both of them exchanged looks and said in unison:

"Rena Rouge."

"It is decided then! It is the fox that triumphs over all!" He cried. Marinette and Alya laughed at his antics.

"Now come on, we need to go and pay, then it's time for all of the accessories and window shopping!" Alya said excitedly. Marinette nodded.

"We need to treat this boy to a proper shopping trip, not one orchestrated by Chloe." Marinette told Alya. Alya gasped.

"You mean Mr. Front of the Cover Weekly has never been on a shopping trip?" Alya said in faux shock. Marinette shook her head grimly.

"I'm afraid not Alya."

"This grim mistake needs to be fixed immediately." She said.

"I concur." 

"Now! To the check out!" Alya looped her arm around Marinette, grabbing the dress in her other hand and Marinette grabbed Adrien's hand pulling him along.

Then, before he knew it they had checked out and were arguing about which store to go in next.

"Come on Mari! Tommi's is the classic window shopping store!" Alya argued.

"It's too advanced for him! He's just a mere beginner!" Marinette shot back.

"Do I get any say in this?" Adrien asked.

"Would you know where to go?" Marinette asked. Adrien looked down smiling sheepishly. "See Alya? He's not ready for Tommi's. They would be brutal! Plus we can't go anywhere where sunglasses are seen as inappropriate because then Adrien's cover would be blown!" Marinette protested. Alya raised her hands and seemingly gave up.

"Alright, alright, you win. So, where do you want to take him?" Marinette shrugged.

"Let's just walk around and see what catches our eye! In this case, the best plan is no plan at all."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Adrien said. 

So that's what they did.

For the next hour and a half they walked the streets of Paris stopping here and there to check out what the store had to offer. 

Adrien was enjoying his time with his classmates immensely. 

It wasn't often that he got to see them outside of a school setting, so this was a rare-treat. Another rare treat was how relaxed Marinette was around him. Yes, it was true that they were becoming closer and that she had mostly quit stuttering around him, but she didn't joke with him like he wanted and a lot of the time, he initiated the conversation, not the other way around.

But today, it was like there was a switch that had turned on. She joked, teased, and talked with him pretty much non-stop and he loved it.

Talking to Marinette was good for the soul.

He had moments with her like this of course. Little times in their history where things seemed to be looking up for them, only to be reverted back the next day.

Oh, he desperately wished that this wasn't one of those times, but it seemed like it wasn't!

Adrien considered Marinette one of his best friends, but he never thought she would return it. At least, not for a while. Yet, as he shopped with her and Alya today, they fell into a pattern that felt new and old all at the same time. It was the same pattern that they had fallen into yesterday and the day before. He could only hope that it would stick around for longer.

"Oh look at the jewelry!" Alya's coo interrupted the debate that Marinette and Adrien were having about what was appropriate "hot cocoa" weather. Marinette walked over to where Alya was and glanced into a case full of turquoise and amethyst.

"You wanna go in?" Adrien asked them, recognizing the gleam in their eyes. Both of them nodded and Adrien held the door open for them. Alya went over to where the rubies were while Marinette gravitated towards the sapphires. Adrien followed her.

"They're so pretty." She said. Adrien nodded.

"Sapphires would look good on you." He commented. 

"O-oh! You think?" She blushed.

"Yeah. They match your eyes." He told her. Marinette blushed ever harder. That was just another one of her many amazing qualities. Her blush whenever he gave her a compliment. 

"They're my favorite." She told him. Adrien looked up at her.

"Oh? Why is that?" He asked. She shrugged.

"Just are." Adrien smiled.

"What's your favorite type of jewelry to wear?" He asked her. Marinette thought for a moment.

"Probably a bracelet or necklace." She answered. Adrien nodded, filing the information for a later time. 

Why? He didn't know, but it was a nice fun fact about Marinette Dupain-Cheng that she adored sapphires and liked wearing them in necklaces and bracelets.

"So why don't you ever wear a necklace or a bracelet?" He asked her. She shrugged. 

"I've never had one that I've wanted to wear." For some inexplicable reason, that bugged Adrien. It bugged him more than it should. A girl like Marinette should have some nice jewelry to wear.

"Oh." He said.

"Well, it looks like Alya found the amethyst." Marinette remarked wryly, pointing over to wear Alya was running around a case, a gleam in her eye. "Let's go make sure she doesn't get into any trouble." 

"That would be a shame." Adrien nodded and they walked over to where the brunette was near fangirling.

"You okay Alya?" Marinette asked. Alya nodded.

"Look!" She said and pointed to what she was _really_ fangirling over.

It wasn't amethyst, that's for sure. 

Instead it was a crystallized ladybug and black cat necklace. The ladybug was sitting on the cat's nose.

"It's a LadyNoir necklace." Alya quietly squealed. Marinette reached out and touched the glass above the necklace, sorrowfully.

Was it because she knew that as long as Ladybug was around, she'd have no chance with the guy that she liked? Or was it something else that made her look at the necklace with a sense of longing.

Alya eventually moved on to find the amethyst, which Adrien guessed was her favorite, but Marinette stayed still. Gazing at the necklace with a look in her eye that Adrien couldn't place. On the way out he could've sworn he saw her blink back tears.

Did the rejection from Chat Noir really shake her that much?

Was she really hurting that hard because of him?

She had seemed to take it well enough, but maybe that was because she didn't want to cause anymore problems. Or she was doing it for his sake! He certainly wouldn't put it past Marinette to do that for him. Oh he hoped he could make her feel better.

After all, her pain was all his fault and he needed to be the one to fix it.

"I know I've said this before, but I'm sorry." He told her, squeezing her shoulder. Marinette looked up at him.

"It really is okay Adrien." She told him.

But it wasn't okay, it was obviously not okay.

"No it's not. He made you hurt." He whispered guilt rising inside of him, combating the warmth hanging out with Marinette usually gave him. 

"It's not his fault that he's in love with somebody else." Marinette told him.

"It kinda is. He's the one controlling his heart right?" If only he could tell his heart to move on! It would certainly make things go a lot easier.

"I guess." Marinette shrugged. "I really don't mind it, though. If he's happy with Ladybug, then I'm happy for him! Besides, I've got Luka so..." Adrien moved his hand off of her shoulder.

Right, she had Luka.

Luka would help her!

He would help her get over Chat Noir and heal the wounds that he left!

Why oh why did that idea bug him so much?

"Right, Luka. He's a great guy." Marinette nodded.

"Yeah." Her voice sounded far off. 

"Come on." He offered her a supportive smile. "Let's go make sure Alya doesn't go broke trying to buy all of the amethysts." He told her. Marinette let out a giggle.

Good, she could still laugh, that was good.

"Okay, sounds like a plan."

Still, even hours later as he sat in his bed, unpunished seeing as he'd never gotten caught, the scene still played in his mind nagging him constantly.

So, he decided to do the one thing that he thought would make him feel better.

**Adrien: Hey**

He texted her.

**Marinette: Hey**

They had never texted each other before, they'd never even called, but tonight seemed like a good time to start.

**Adrien: Are you sure you're alright?**

**Marinette: Positive**

**Marinette: Why?**

**Adrien: I couldn't get that fact that you kept staring at that necklace out of my head**

Did that sound weird? Oh that totally sounded weird! Now Marinette is going to think he's this super weird guy who's borderline obsessed with her and never talk to him again and-

**Marinette: Oh**

Her next message broke him out of his spiral. 

**Marinette: You don't need to worry**

**Marinette: I'm kinda over the fact that Chat rejected me**

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that she wasn't super hurt anymore, but now he was confused.

**Marinette: Remember that friend I told you about?**

Adrien furrowed his brows.

**Adrien: Which one?**

**Marinette: The one who's in love with me**

Oh yes, he remembered her talking about him at Luka's party.

**Adrien: Yeah**

**Adrien: The one who’s acting distant?**

Adrien couldn't help but feel a little guilty, even though none of it was his fault!

**Marinette: Yeah**

**Marinette: Remember what Alya said the other day? About Chat Noir being distant to Ladybug now?**

Adrien wanted to laugh. Of course he remembered. They were talking about him! 

**Adrien: Yeah**

**Marinette: It just reminded me of my situation**

**Marinette: So when I saw that necklace it made me think of Chat and my other friend and**

**Marinette: I'm sorry**

**Marinette: I didn't mean to make you worry**

Adrien shook his head in disbelief. 

**Adrien: Don't be sorry Marinette**

**Adrien: Never be sorry for your emotions**

**Marinette: Thank you Adrien**

**Marinette: It means a lot**

**Adrien: Anytime**

**Marinette: I have to go now**

**Marinette: Goodnight**

**Marinette: Talk to you later**

**Adrien: Goodbye**

**Adrien: Goodnight**

**Adrien: Text you tomorrow**

Adrien knew that he would because it seemed to him that Marinette needed someone to cheer her up. And if he wasn't going to do it, then who would? Nobody else knew about her and Chat Noir nor her friend who was being distant.

It seemed to Adrien that he was the only one who could help her and help her he would.

But first he needed a plan

"Plagg, get some coffee going." Adrien told his kwami as he turned on his computer. "It's going to be a long night."


	6. Day Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's dreading over the previous day gets interrupted by an akuma.

Marinette wanted to scream. She was trying to move on! Spending hours and hours with Adrien having one-on-one with him was not helping her move on!

And after she went home did he stop talking to her? No! He went and started texting her!

Of course, that was partly her fault. She had looked pretty distraught at the jewelry store, but she couldn't help it. One look at that necklace and she felt such remorse. 

Her and Chat Noir were supposed to be this unstoppable team and yet, while they still fought the akumas whole-heartedly and came out victorious every time, their team was crumbling. No more flirts, no more nicknames, the whole dynamic was off!

Marinette idly wondered if Chat Noir would still act the same around her as Marinette. After all, Ladybug wasn't the only one he had a pet name for. She hoped he would, even with the whole Papa Garou escapade. She missed the old Chat Noir dearly.

So of course Adrien just had to pick up on it because that was the type of person he was! So caring and sweet and too gosh darn attractive for his own good. His actions yesterday definitely did not help Marinette get over him whatsoever.

Oh, she was such a mess! Just on Thursday she had been so close to asking Luka out and now she was back to hopelessly pining after Adrien. The fact that the girl he loved wasn't Kagami certainly didn't help her in moving on. 

It had been one of her defenses, that Kagami was her friend and she couldn't steal her future boyfriend from her. But now, Adrien wasn't in love with Kagami. Marinette guessed that the girl he was in love with was probably someone he knew through extra curricular activities. At least with that mentality she didn't have to torture herself with the thought of it being one of their classmates. 

But then Marinette remembered that even if Adrien didn't love Kagami, Kagami still loved him and Kagami had given Marinette plenty of chances to make her move. It was time to return the favor. Spending an entire day dress-shopping with Adrien was not returning the favor!

It was the exact opposite, actually!

Sure, she hadn't made any moves on him, but she knew that sometimes you didn't need too. After all, Adrien had done nothing more than hand her an umbrella and look at her now! Months later, head over heels for the boy. 

What if yesterday had been the turning point and he know was seeing Marinette as more than a friend?

Ha, like that'll ever happen.

It was a truth universally acknowledged that Marinette was destined to just-friendom forever.

At least, that's what it felt like. 

She had been trying for months now to work up the guts to confess and it seems like every time destiny just gets in the way. Whether that's due to her word vomit or Hawkmoth's astute timing or the fact that Adrien wasn't allowed out of the house most of the time. It seemed like the outer-worldly beings had deemed her "just a friend" to Adrien Agreste for all eternity.

She would never be able to marry him, then she would never be able to get the house, or have Emma, Louis, and Hugo, and there would be no hamster!

Instead, she'd be asked to be a bridesmaid in Kagami and Adrien's wedding! She'd probably have to make a speech, too. She might even be claimed as the one who got them together because she was the one who organized the first time they had hung outside of fencing. By that time her crush on Adrien would probably be a joke. Something they would laugh about at the wedding! Maybe, it would even be a story Adrien and Kagami told their kids! How their Auntie Marinette had such a huge crush on their father when they were younger.

She could see the kids now. They would be running around with Kagami's hair and Adrien's eyes. Kind and compassionate like their father, but strong-willed and confident like their mother. They'd be in fencing and fashion and would be super talented because both of their parents were super talented! And every night their parents would tell them stories about how they fell in love with each other because they were perfect for each other!

In Marinette's eyes, they were practically soulmates. Both shared a similar interest in fencing, both could relate in their strict upbringing, Kagami brought out a competitive side of Adrien while Adrien brought out a softer side in her.

Kagami had told her herself, they were made for each other and she never hesitated.

And where did that leave Marinette?

It left her as the Aunt, the one who got their kid's parents together in the first place! It left her crush as something to laugh about over "family dinners". For their kids to gawk at the fact that Auntie Mari could've been their mom.

And Marinette would laugh and joke about it too. Pretending that it was all in the past, pretending that it was okay, that being "just a friend" for forever was something that she was fine with. Even wanted, because everyone was under the illusion of her getting over her first love.

But the reality would be that she wasn't over Adrien Agreste. She never would be over Adrien Agreste. She had been fated to fall into a painful unrequited love the moment he handed her his umbrella that day all those months ago.

That's why she had to get over him.

For the sake of her own sanity.

So that way she wouldn't be the "fun, used-to-have-a-thing-for-dad," Aunt in public, but the "heartbroken, pathetic, never-got-over-her-first-love" Aunt when she got home.

But if she never got over Adrien, then that was the life she was signing up for. 

She didn't want that. 

It would damage her heart and her health if she never managed to get over him.

So why, oh why, was getting over him so taxing?

"Ughhhhhffff" Marinette yelled into her pillow.

"Marinette I really don't see why you're freaking out about this so much!" Tikki commented, hovering above her.

Of course her kwami didn't understand. Tikki might've been a few millennia old, but for all the years she's been alive she's always had her other half. She didn't have to deal with the pain of unrequited love.

"I was supposed to be over him by now!" Marinette wailed. "I can't believe this Tikki! It seems like we're only growing closer since we danced last week!"

"And why is that a bad thing?" Her kwami inquired. 

"Because if I'm supposed to be getting over him, I shouldn't be hanging out with him! I mean groups are fine because there would be more people than just him and I, but not one on one!" Marinette buried herself into her pillow further. 

"You were with Alya all day yesterday!" Tikki chirped, "That counts as a group, right?"

Marinette shook her head helplessly.

"Alya was busy doing other stuff, it was Adrien and I who were hanging out most of the time." She groaned. "I should be doing this kind of stuff with Luka! Not with Adrien!"

Tikki hummed. "Maybe it's a good thing that you're still spending time with Adrien." Marinette took her face out of her pillow.

"Are you kidding me?" She asked, incredulous that Tikki would suggest such a thing.

"Well, you aren't planning on stopping being friends with him?" Marinette shook her head rapidly. "So, you're going to have to get used to being with him, even when you're trying to get over him!"

"Can't I just get used to him being around after I get over him?" Marinette muttered, fed up with herself.

"And do to Adrien what Chat Noir is doing to you? Who knows how painful that would be?" Tikki reminded her.

Marinette let out a non-intelligible mumble. It was frustrating to say the least.

She was trying to give Chat Noir more space. No more nicknames or begging him to stay after a battle. If she wanted their old dynamic back, then she'd have to help him move on from her. Not give him enough mixed signals to last a lifetime. But considering how well her moving on from Adrien was going, it might be ages until her Chat can become the dynamic duo again. After all, if she couldn't move on from the sunshine boy, who's to say Chat Noir could move on from his partner lickity-split? 

Marinette wished that she could do something about it. Unfortunately she didn't have an automatic get-over-your-crush-button, otherwise she would've used it on herself ages ago!

"Feelings aren't fun." She grumbled.

"I know they aren't." Tikki said softly.

"Why can't I just not feel things anymore?" Marinette wailed. "Or at least feel them for the right person!"

Tikki opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. 

"What?" Marinette asked. Tikki shook her head.

"It's nothing, lost my train of thought."

"Oh, alright. But seriously, Tikki, what am I going to do?" Marinette asked helplessly. 

"About moving on from Adrien, or about Chat Noir?" Tikki asked her.

"Both, I guess."

"Well, let's say Adrien's assumptions about Chat Noir moving on from you is what's causing this distance is correct, what do you want to do about that?"

"I want my partner back, Tikki." Marinette said, her voice filled with determination. "Unfortunately to do that I have to give him the proper space. Sooner he moves on, sooner our friendship can be repaired. I mean it's not like trying to talk to him has done anything." She sighed. "As far as moving on from Adrien goes I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to date Luka and make it official. At least, not until I'm officially over Adrien and liking him. It wouldn't be fair to lead him on. But, I could spend more time with him without labeling it right?" 

Tikki nodded.

"As long as you keep him in the loop about your feelings, tell him what's changed and what hasn't and take his feelings into consideration as well, it's fine to hang out with him." 

Marinette nodded.

"Okay then. I still can't believe I managed to spend a whole afternoon with Adrien!"

"And you've really come along on your stutter!" Tikki chirped happily.

"Maybe that's because I'm moving on! I'm not as nervous around him because I don't like him as much anymore!" Marinette cheered. She knew the real reason is that as they were growing closer, she was becoming more and more comfortable around him. But, that was the opposite of what she wanted to happen. 

Well, of course she wanted to grow closer to Adrien, but she would've liked that to happen after she got over him.

"Maybe, but you don't stutter around Luka all that much." Tikki told her.

"Let's not define my crushes by my lack of speech around them." Marinette winked. 

"Alright Marinette. Just, do what you think is best. I don't want to see you hurt." Tikki told her.

"I'll try my best Tikki. Thank you." 

"You're welcome, Marinette. If you ever need anything, you know I'll try my hardest."

"I know Tikki, thank you. I just wish I could get all my feelings in order."

"I promise that it will all make sense one day."

"I certainly hope so, but until then my emotions will just be a jumbled mess." 

"You wanna look up runway fail videos?" Tikki asked. 

"Yes please."

"Those always seem to cheer you up!" Tikki smiled.

"That they do." Marinette opened her browser, ready to forget about boy drama for once and just laugh at people falling off of runways because of the outlandish designs they were dressed in. 

"You never would design something like that, would you?" Tikki asked, watching as a model tripped and fell from modeling a dress that looked like Christmas wrapping. 

Marinette scrunched up her nose. 

"I certainly hope that I don't." Marinette adored fashion, but some of the outfits she had seen top the charts looked like something out of a kids cartoon. It was almost as if they were taking inspiration from one of the least fashionable people in existence. 

Hawkmoth himself. 

Marinette hated the Bubbler's akumatization for multiple reasons, but one of them was the atrocious color scheme his costume had. 

Marinette was sure that if any respecting fashion designer saw some of Hawkmoth's earlier designs they would’ve begged to help Ladybug and Chat Noir themselves instead of standing on the sidelines, if only for the fact to rid their eyes of the monstrosity.

She giggled at the thought of Gabriel Agreste battling by her and Chat's side, yelling out how he would make the design better the entire time. 

"What's so funny?" Tikki inquired.

"Well, the thought of Gabriel Agreste," Marinette started to explain, in between bursts of laughter, "helping me and Chat because he couldn't handle Hawkmoth's designs!" 

Tikki giggled her bell-like laughter.

"Oh Marinette."

Said girl suddenly gasped.

"Tikki! I've got an idea!" She cried excitedly. 

"Oh, what's your idea Marinette?"

"Akuma re-designs!" Marinette told her, excitedly. "Of course I'll have to get permission from the people who were akumatized, but what if I designed outfits based off of their costumes? There's plenty of hero themed wear!"

"Are you really sure designing outfits for villains is a good idea?" Tikki asked. 

"Well, I'll probably just design them for my friends and I! I mean, Nath turned the Evilustrator into a superhero! I'm sure he wouldn't mind an outfit based off of alter-ego." Marinette thought out loud. "And they might not even make it out of my sketchbook, but it gives me something to do!" Marinette ran around her room, grabbing her jacket, sketchbook, and purse. "Come on Tikki! We've got to go to my secret garden of inspiration!" 

Tikki rushed into Marinette's purse. 

Marinette rushed downstairs and straight into her mom.

"Oh! Sorry Mama!" She apologized.

"Oh Marinette! It's quite alright dear. I was actually coming upstairs to get you! Your father and I both are busy with the bakery and we need someone to deliver this cake, our delivery guy called in sick. Think you're up for the task?" Sabine challenged. 

Oh well, designing can wait.

"Sure thing Maman! Where's the address?" 

"It's on the box dear." Sabine chuckled. 

"Oh! Right! Well, I want to design for a bit afterwards, so I'm not sure when I'll be back."

"Alright, just keep your father and I in the loop." Sabine kissed her daughter's cheek and Marinette rushed off. 

She hummed happily as she headed to the apartment. 

"It's nice of you to do that for your parents!" Tikki told Marinette once they were on a side street and couldn't be seen. 

"Well, it's the least I can do! They've given me so much, not to mention how trusting they are of me." Marinette did feel guilty about betraying her parents trust time and time again. Sure, she was saving the city daily, but it was still a betrayal of trust in her books. 

"It's a good thing they trust you! Imagine how hard transforming into Ladybug would be if they didn't!" 

"Yeah." Marinette mumbled to herself, deep in thought. 

In all the months she had been Ladybug, she could count how many times she's been grounded because of absences on one hand. Part of that was due to Marinette's or rather _Ladybug's_ luck, but part of that was due to her parents trusting her completely with where she was. She often wondered what she had done to deserve such supporting parents and friends. Lord knows that no normal person would stick around with her growing-in-absurdity late excuses. She really was lucky to have Alya and Nino and everyone else in her life.

She was so deep in thought, she didn't even realize that she was standing in front of the apartment until Tikki was poking her.

"Marinette you're here!" Tikki told her. Marinette shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

"Sorry Tikki." Marinette rang the door-bell. 

In one catastrophic moment it all happened. 

The women opened the door and a kid came barreling down the hallway Marinette was in. 

The kid knocked into Marinette, launching Marinette and the cake into the women who had answered the door. 

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" Marinette frantically got up off of the lady, but the damage was done. 

The cake had splattered all over the older woman.

"Excuse me young lady!" The woman scolded her. "What is your name?"

"M-Marinette." Marinette stuttered. The women had gray hair pulled up in a tight bun, her cheeks sagged as she glared at Marinette.

"Well, Marinette. I hope you're happy with yourself. You have not only ruined this cake, but also this suit." And with that, the door slammed in her face.

"Well, that certainly could've gone better!" Tikki remarked. Marinette nodded.

"She didn't even let me explain! Come on Tikki, we should head home. I hope Mama and Papa won't be too torn up about the loss."

"I'm sure that as long as you explain what happened, they'll understand." Marinette nodded. 

"Yeah, you're right." Marinette turned on her heel and headed home, forgetting about designing for the time being. All she wanted to do was go home and rest and not get yelled at by anyone.

She should've known that the peace would've never lasted.

She had just made it up to her room, after explaining to her parents what had happened and earning sympathetic looks from both of them. 

"Well, who knew that only twenty minutes could be so taxing on a person?" Marinette remarked as she fell down on her bed, wanting to just rest.

Then, she felt it. The building below her rumbled.

"I am Alter Pistoribus Foe!" The akuma called. "Surrender Marinette Dupain-Cheng or face the consequences."

Marinette was torn between screaming and laughing.

On one hand, Alter Pistoribus Foe had her cackling. Seriously, where did Hawkmoth get these ridiculous names from?

On the other hand, she now had to deal with an akuma and Chat Noir by default. Hopefully he wouldn't be too distant this time around, but she knew that was wishful thinking.

"Marinette!" A fist pounded into her trap door as a voice called out her name desperately. 

Speaking of.....

"In here!" She called, making sure Tikki had hidden in her blazer before unlocking the trap door. 

Chat Noir stood above her looking panicked. As soon as he saw her, Marinette could've sworn that she saw him visibly relax.

"We've got to get you out of here! There's an akuma downstairs." She gave him a look.

"Oh really? I didn't notice! I thought the building shaking was due to my father taking cakes out of the oven." She gave him a deadpan look.

"Meowch Princess, you've wounded me." He slapped his hand to his heart. Marinette grinned.

It was the same old Chat Noir. Just that one nickname had her heart soaring. There was her kitty. It had only been a few weeks since he had stopped being his usual self, but it was always so taxing to go to a fight and have him be closed off.

Another shake from down below sobered him up.

"Come on, let's go." He outstretched his hand towards her. Marinette nodded and took it. He picked her up, bridal style and they were off across the rooftops.

Marinette smiled, enjoying the exhilaration of running across rooftops and the thankfulness that Chat Noir was acting normal around at least one of her personas.

"So, what happened?" Chat asked.

"I was out doing a delivery for my parents. A kid accidentally knocked into me when a woman-."

"The one who's akumatized?" Chat interrupted.

"I think so. Anyway, because the kid knocked into me the cake got all over the woman."

"You think that's why she was akumatized?" Chat asked in disbelief. Marinette nodded.

"I don't know why else she would be after me." Chat shook his head.

"Some people got no chill." Marinette laughed at that.

"I agree." The pair settled into silence for a few moments with only the sound of the city and Chat's breathing around them.

Marinette wondered how far away from the attack they were and if it would cause problems for her later as Ladybug. 

"Hey, uh, Marinette?" Chat Noir asked after a few moments of silence.

"Ye-LOOK OUT!" Marinette cried.

"There she is! Give me the girl Chat Noir and your miraculous while you're at it." Alter Pistoribus Foe yelled venomously. 

"How did she find us?" Marinette asked. Chat Noir shrugged.

"Why is it always food akumas when we're together?" He muttered as he stood in front of her, taking out his baton and spinning it so it created a shield.

"They are?" Marinette asked.

"Well, Bakerix was a food one so was Glaciator."

"Evilustrator wasn't."

"Yeah, okay, I'll give you that."

"Neither was Gamer! Or Befana!"

"Befana sounds like banana, plus wasn't it the candies she gave you that was the akumatized item? I count that as a food akuma." 

Despite an akuma shooting her instant-hardening cake batter at them, Marinette still found it within her to smile and roll her eyes. A combination that used to happen constantly whenever she was around Chat Noir. 

"Okay, well, what about Puppeteer?" Marinette pointed out. "That wasn't a food akuma! And neither was-" Marinette cut herself off, the "last time" dying in her mouth as Chat scooped her up again. "Wha-Chat!"

"You're not safe here either." 

"Chat! Put me down! You've got an akuma to fight!" She scolded him. 

"No can do Princess! Your safety is priority. Ladybug will be here soon and she can handle the akuma!"

 _'Ladybug is right in front of you you dumb cat!'_ She thought. 

"But Chat-!"

"But nothing! It's my sworn duty as your knight in shining armor." 

"I don't remember swearing you in." Marinette raised an eyebrow. 

"It was a small ceremony." Chat Noir winked. Marinette scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." Chat opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it rapidly. 

"What?" Marinette asked. Chat just shook his head.

"It's nothing, Princess. Absolutely nothing." He gave her a smile she had seen far too many times, although it was on the wrong boy. 

"I know that there's something bothering you. You have on a model smile." Chat Noir looked down at where she was in his arms, his mouth making an "o". "I'm a designer ki-Chat" She hoped he didn't catch her slip up. "I see a lot of model's smiles when studying designs, so I have an eye for them." He smiled at her softly. 

Seeing that smile on him, an expression she hadn't seen anything remotely close to in so long, her heart nearly burst out of her chest with emotions. 

She loved him, she knew that she did, how else could she explain how she felt whenever she saw him? But, she knew that it wasn't romantic love. That didn't mean that she didn't care about him, or that she wanted to see him sad. She never wanted that. A smile belonged on her kitty's face. Not the even expression he greeted her alter-ego nowadays. 

"You always have read emotions rather easily, haven't you?" He commented, the smile not leaving his face.

"What can I say? I'm just good at it?" Chat Noir set her down on the Eiffel Tower. 

"That you are, Mari." Marinette smiled, but then she realized what he was doing.

"Hey! Don't distract me with compliments! There's something wrong so tell me what it is! You told me what was wrong the night-" Marinette paused. "Glaciator attacked." She was going to say _'the night Ladybug stood you up'_ , but that probably wasn't the best thing to say. Chat Noir nodded.

"I guess I did." A thought suddenly dawned on him. "Mari, when you said that you had been brokenhearted before, were you talking about....?" The end of the sentence settled between the two heavily. 

"No!" Marinette told him. "No, no!" She shook her head rapidly. "I wasn't talking about you!" She reassured him. Chat breathed out a sigh, relieved.

"Good, I'm glad. So the crush on me was a recent development?" He asked, then slapped his hand over his mouth at Marinette's flabbergasted expression. "Sorry! Sorry! I just realized that's a totally rude thing to ask you and you totally don't have to answer because it might make you uncomfortable and I never want to make you uncomfortable and you probably hate me now so I'm just going to go and-"

Marinette giggled at his ramble. He was almost as bad as she was.

"No, no, it's okay!" 

"It is...?" 

"Yeah, sure! I'd be curious too if someone suddenly jumped on me with a love confession one night." She scratched her neck, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "The crush was a recent development." She said, sticking with her story. 

"When?" He asked. 

"Glaciator." Marinette said the first thing that came to mind.

"Glaciator?" Chat asked, eyebrows raised.

"Y-yeah, you took me to that rooftop and..." She trailed off, hoping she had gotten her point across. Chat's eyes widened as if a thought had just dawned on him.

"Oh yeah, that probably wasn't the best idea. To take a girl to the spot I was planning on having a date with the girl that I-." He stopped there. "Anyway, sorry." Marinette smiled.

"It's alright Chat, really."

"But I lead you on!" He protested.

"Did you think you were leading me on?" Marinette asked him. Like she had thought, he shook his head.

"No! I just wanted to cheer a friend up!"

"Then you weren't leading me on, you were being" Marinette tilted her head from side to side. "overly-friendly."

"Overly-friendly?" Chat Noir gave her a doubtful look.

"Yeah! If it were true 'leading me on'" She said with quotations, "it would've been full of malicious intent and it wasn't. It was you being a kind person. You weren't trying to string me along and break my heart in the end." Marinette told him.

"Yeah, well it ended up happening anyway, didn't it?" He muttered.

"You didn't mean for it to happen." Marinette protested. "It's not your fault!"

"But, I'm the one who rejected you!" He argued. 

"Yeah, and?" Marinette shot back.

"I of all people should know how much rejections hurt Mari! And I never wanted to hurt you, but I ended up hurting you anyway! I never wanted that! Ever!" He cried. 

"Chat..." Marinette's heart melted. The Papa Garou incident had happened some time ago, and she had thought that he was over it, but it looked like that wasn't the case. 

"I'm so sorry Marinette." He said. "Please forgive me?" He looked up at her, his eyes pleading. Marinette giggled.

"You already were. You can't control how you feel. The heart wants what it wants." Marinette told him.

"Thanks." He pulled her in for a hug. "That means so much more than you could ever know." He told her.

"It's no problem, kitty. Just my job as your Princess. I can't have a sloppy knight in shining armor now can I?" She asked him, not fully comprehending what she was saying.

"Of course not. That'd be a real shame." He winked at her. "I do have one last question however, before I go and kick akuma butt." Marinette had to laugh at that.

"Shoot."

"Are you over me?" He asked.

"What?" Marinette thought she wasn't hearing him correctly.

"Are you over me?"

"Um, why do you ask?" She asked him, confused as to where this was coming from.

"Well, you know how I'm friends with Adrien?" He asked her and she nodded.

"He may have mentioned something about you trying to get over someone and..." He trailed off. 

Oh, so that's where this came from. Marinette shook her head.

"That's not it at all! I promise! I moved on pretty quickly." She could see the visible relief in Chat's eyes and his mind fully computed her answer.

"Okay, good I'm glad. I might have to take some advice from you on how to move on quickly." He winked and then leapt away.

"What was that about?" Marinette asked, confused. 

"I have no clue! Maybe it had been bugging him for a while!" Tikki said from inside her blazer.

"Maybe. I certainly hope not. Chat is the sort of person who would get torn up about rejecting someone though." She frowned. She hoped that she didn't cause him too much distress as Marinette too. He didn't deserve that.

"Well, the good thing is that it's all over now! He doesn't think that you still like him, so you won't have to worry about hurting him!" Tikki always was the positive thinker. 

"Yeah Tikki you're probably right. Could you have imagined what would've happened if he had actually said yes all those days ago?" Marinette thought, laughing at the image of her and Chat Noir actually dating. That certainly would be strange! "It's a good thing he didn't say yes, otherwise what good was his love to Ladybug if he changed his mind that quickly?"

Marinette could see Tikki shaking her head out of the corner of her eye.

She knew that Tikki disagreed with her. That if Chat had said that he did like her, it wouldn't exactly mean that he had "changed his mind" which was true seeing as her and Ladybug were the same people, but he didn't know that!

And how would he have even gotten a crush on Marinette in the first place? 

At least for her it was somewhat understandable, he probably had to deal with an absurd amount of fangirls. So, someone confessing to him probably wasn't all that odd, but a superhero confessing to a civilian? And not only a civilian, but a civilian he barely knew!

Yeah, if he had agreed to date Marinette, it would've been odd to say the least. Thank goodness that that disaster was averted. Even if it had ended up with her father getting akumatized, at least she wasn't dating Chat Noir!

Okay, that sounded really messed up.

But at least with akumatizations, she could fix things! With feelings, not so much. A broken heart couldn't be fixed with a yo-yo.

"Come on Marinette, we've got an akuma to fight! You don't want to leave Chat all alone do you?" Tikki asked her.

"Of course not! We've got to go and make sure Alter Pistoribus Foe doesn't cause too much trouble." That name would never not be funny to her.

"Just say the words Marinette!" Tikki chipped excitedly.

Marinette called her transformation eagerly and went to go and defeat one of the most absurd akumas she had ever fought.


	7. Day Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Luka check out a new seafood place.

When Marinette woke up that morning, she was (unfortunately) still head over heels for Adrien Agreste. Spending the entire afternoon with the person that you were trying to get over definitely wasn't the best call. It frustrated her to no end how close she was to moving on only to do a one-eighty nearly the day after. 

At least yesterday she had gotten some closure with Chat Noir. Even though they had parted on friendly terms during the debacle, he had still thought that she was in love with him. It was a good thing she had gotten that cleared up. She laughed a bit to herself. Her? In love with Chat Noir? As if. 

Although, she had once thought 'maybe if there was no Adrien' but, things had changed since then. She was now Guardian, and if she were to fall for Chat Noir now, he would be double the target. An easy way to get Ladybug and the Miracle Box. Then of course there was the matter of their secret identities. If they got together, it wouldn't be long until Ladybug would want to be with him outside of the mask. She even had that extra argument of "Master Fu knew my identity, now that I'm Guardian, shouldn't I know Chat Noir's?". When it came to love, Marinette tended to act rashly, with her heart rather than her head and Ladybug couldn't afford that. But the biggest reason that she couldn't fall for Chat Noir was because she never wanted to look into those icy blue eyes ever again. 

Chat Noir was no longer an option for her, which was fine! Because she never felt that way about him in the first place! So why was she even listing reasons why she couldn't fall for him! The reason was because she just didn't feel that way about him! Yeah! Totally!

"Marinette?" Alya's voice broke Marinette out of her reverie.

"Huh?" Marinette turned to look at her best friend. Alya had a small smirk on her face.

"You looked caught up in your daydreams again." She told her.

"What? No! I was just thinking!" Marinette protested.

"Uh-huh." The look on Alya's face told her that she didn't believe Marinette one bit.

"It's true!" She told Alya. 

_'Daydreams are a lot more pleasant than what I was thinking about.'_ Marinette thought.

"Right, and I'm sure your 'thoughts'" Marinette glared at the air quotes, "have nothing to do about the devilishly handsome model that we went shopping with on Saturday?" Alya raised an eyebrow. Marinette huffed.

"Of course not!" She turned her head away, but not before she caught Alya's shake of her head in the corner of her eye. 

They were supposed to be taking notes about some equations, but frankly Marinette had more pressing things to dread about than particles and the fundamentals of science. 

Like her love life!

As if she had summoned it, her phone buzzed just then. Marinette glanced up to make sure that Mme. Mendeleiev was directing her attention on her slides presentation before taking her phone out.

**Luka: Are you going to be busy for lunch today?**

**Marinette: No, why?**

**Luka: Well, I was wondering if I could take you to a cafe I spotted the other day?**

Well, she had wanted to spend more time with him.

**Marinette: Yeah sure! That sounds great!**

She thought that had been the end of it, but a few minutes later her phone buzzed again.

**Luka: I haven't heard from you the whole weekend, how are you?**

Marinette felt a twinge of guilt for forgetting to message him, but she knew that Luka didn't blame her. He knew how busy she could be and how forgetful. 

**Marinette: Really busy sorry about not messaging you**

**Luka: It's alright Ma-ma-Marinette.**

Marinette tried to hide her giggle, but let out a small noise that caught Alya's attention.

'Luka' She mouthed. Alya raised her eyebrows and Marinette looked back to her phone. 

**Luka: I know you are busy**

**Luka: I also saw the news about the akuma attack**

**Luka: I got a bit worried, but I knew you could handle yourself**

Marinette felt her face grow warm. He was so sweet.

**Marinette: Thanks Luka, I'll tell you all about it at lunch okay?**

**Luka: Can't wait**

**Luka: See you then**

Marinette turned back to her lesson, content with her lunch plans. 

After plans she happily skipped down the steps to meet Luka who was waiting for her with his bike.

"Hey Luka! Where are we headed?"

"It's a new seafood cafe I saw the other day while working." He told her, handing her the helmet that he had gotten her. "It made me think of you." 

"It did?" Marinette asked, smiling happily.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll see why as soon as we get there. Hop on." Marinette got onto the seat and placed her hands around Luka as he got on the bike. "Comfortable?" Marinette nodded against his back. "Alright, here we go!" 

Marinette let her cheek rest on Luka's back, closing her eyes and listening to the sounds of the city and his feeling his breathing. 

After a few minutes of peace she felt the bike stop.

"We're here." Marinette looked up and one glance at the restaurant showed her why Luka had thought of her. She let out a laugh. "Wow, that's definitely an," she paused trying to think of a kinder way to describe the sight, "interesting choice for a color scheme." 

The seafood restaurant had decided to use a pink color as their store front paired up with white lettering.

"I think it might make more sense once we're inside." Luka got off the bike to hold the door open for Marinette. "Shall we?"

"We shall!" Marinette walked through the doors and took in the rest of the restaurant. The walls were painted with blue, purple, pink, orange, and then yellow, made to look the the sunset, with several palm trees hanging on. The title was a deep blue that watched the chairs and tables. 

"They must be going for a sunset on the beach type feel." Luka whispered to Marinette as they took it all in. Marinette nearly jumped. She hadn't realized he had gotten so close. 

"Y-yeah."

"Hello you two! Welcome to Paradise Bay, how may we help you?" A waitress came up to them.

"We'd like a table for two please." Luka told her.

"Of course! Right this way!" She led them to a small table in the back corner, right by a palm tree and handed them their menus once they got situated. "Someone will be with you in a moment." With that, she walked away.

"So, how was your weekend?" Luka asked her.

"It's been great! I went dress shopping with Alya to help her pick something out for her date with Nino on Saturday!"

"Oh how'd that go?" Luka put down his menu and gazed at her. That was the great thing about Luka, he never made her feel like she didn't have his complete attention.

"Really well." Marinette bit her lip wondering if she should mention who joined them. 

_'It's only fair to tell him about your feelings!'_ A voice that sounded suspiciously like Tikki reminded her. 

"Adrien joined us." She told him before she could change her mind. Luka gave her a smile.

"Really? Good, I'm glad he was able to get out of the house for a little bit." Marinette nodded. "Although, was seeing him painful for you?" He asked her. Marinette sighed.

"I wouldn't exactly call it painful, at least not as bad as when I see him with Kagami, but-"

"Your heart is singing two different songs Marinette, and the one that was weakening on Thursday is now going strong. I can't fault you for that."

"I'm sorry Luka." Marinette apologized, looking down at her hands.

"Marinette," His voice only had understanding in it. "I can't fault you for your own feelings. No one should. The song your heart is playing is your own, no one else should decide that for you." Marinette blushed.

"Thank you Luka, that means a lot to me." 

"Of course Marinette. It's what you deserve to hear. So, dress shopping went well? What dress did Alya choose?"

"Oh! She went with a Rena Rouge style dress! It's definitely her color." Marinette told him.

"Oh good, I'm glad. I'm guessing she has a date with Nino and that's why she was shopping? Marinette nodded.

"Yep, they're going out for a Friday lunch. I'm glad that they're getting to spend time together, both of them seem to be pretty busy nowadays." 

"And apparently they aren't the only ones, you've been getting new designs out, haven't you?" Luka asked.

"Yeah! How did you know?"

"You have that sparkle in your eye that you always get whenever you've come up with something new." He told her. Marinette blushed, pleasantly surprised that he took such an interest in her.

"Yeah, I got an idea to start basing designs off of akumatized personas, with their permission of course." She told him.

"That's quite genius Marinette, and of course you can use Silencer as inspiration. I'm not proud of getting akumatized, but I'm glad that I was able to protect you. I would never want to put you in danger Marinette." Her blush only worsened. 

"T-thank you Luka." She told him, smiling.

"Hello you two, my name is Joel and I'll be your server for today, may I take your drinks order?" A man asked them.

"Water please." Marinette said, realizing that she hadn't looked at the menu yet.

"I'll do the same." The man left and Luka and Marinette shot each other sheepish smiles.

"I guess we should figure out what we're going to order, huh?" He asked her. Marinette nodded.

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea." Marinette picked up her menu and scanned it. 

"Ooo, they have English style fish and chips." Luka said. "I had them when I went to England."

"You've gone to England?" Marinette looked up from her menu. Luka nodded.

"Yeah, I went to go see Jagged Stone live with my sister. It was only a day trip, and one of the rare opportunities that my mom actually drove. Of course she actually didn't go to the concert, probably because of her history with him, I still don't know what's that about, but we all went to dinner at this brewery and we all got fish and chips, it's a classic and you can't go wrong."

"Alright, you've got me sold!" Marinette put the menu down as Joel came back with their waters. 

"Are we ready to order or do we need more time?" He asked them.

"I think we're ready to order." Marinette looked at Luka who gave a confirming nod. 

"Alright what'll it be."

"We'll both do the English-style fish and chips." Luka told Joel.

"Sounds amazing! I'll get that right in for you two right away!" With that he left.

"What time do you have to be back at school?" Luka asked Marinette, she took out her phone and checked the time.

"I have about thirty minutes left." Luka nodded.

"Hopefully that'll be enough time."

"Well, the worst that could happen is me being late and we both know that that's nothing new." Marinette laughed a bit. Luka let out a chuckle. 

"I guess that's true, but you shouldn't skip school just for lunch for me." He told her. Marinette waved her hand.

"Whatever. I'm sure that my grades can suffer through five more minutes of hanging out with you." She winked and he shot her a sweet smile.

"Thank you Marinette, but education is very important. Although, I might be something of a hypocrite seeing that I'm skipping class to be with you." Marinette blushed at the implications of his phrasing before the meaning caught up to her.

"Wait, you're skipping school?" Luka looked almost bashful.

"It's nothing important, we were just doing makeup work for a project I had already finished and my mom couldn't care less about whether or not I'm skipping, especially if it's not even something that will hurt my grade." He told her, looking almost embarrassed. It was a rare expression on him, something that Marinette couldn't ever recall seeing. Even when he had confessed to her, he had looked her right in her eyes and poured his heart out to her. Marinette let out a small giggle.

"Wow Luka, I never figured that you were such a rebel." He grinned.

"Oh yeah, I've got the obsession with rock and roll and everything." Marinette couldn't help but laugh at that.

"If that's what makes you a rebel then I guess I'm the queen of rebels seeing as I'm friends with an international rock star." She winked at him.

"You still need to introduce me to him, you know. I've never really interacted with him besides that one time he asked my mom to come back and play with him." Marinette grimaced, remembering her inappropriate actions that day.

"Did I ever apologize about that?" Luka furrowed his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"I had given Adrien that position, even though I knew that you would've been the better option, I let my heart control my actions and-"

"It's really okay Marinette, you were already stressed out about seeing Adrien and Kagami together, not to mention the pressure they put you under when they called me your boyfriend-." Luka cut off her rant, giving her a sweet smile even though he was talking about her rejection.

"But that still didn't make it right! I guess I was just so caught up in trying to prove that Adrien was the one who I liked and I ended up hurting you. I really care about you Luka." Luka put her hand over hers, an action that made her heartbeat speed up. 

"I really care about you too Marinette, and I'll always be here for you whether that's as a friend or something more." She squeezed his hand.

"Thank you Luka, that means so much." She was thankful that Luka didn't seem to be taking her rejection too hard. She knew that no matter how temporary the lack of feelings was, the rejection still hurt and yet he was still here telling her she could always come to him.

Why oh why was she not dating this boy again?

"Of course, and I'll always be happy to help you with Adrien."

Right, that's why. She still had feelings for a boy that would never return them and starting a relationship now would be unfair of her. It would be better for her to get over Adrien completely and then start to move on to Luka.

"Thank you, but you don't have to do that. I know firsthand how painful that can be." She told him thinking back to all her memories or Adrien and Kagami. He shrugged.

"I just want to see you happy." She smiled at him and squeezed his hand, not being able to give him an answer. She hoped one day she would. "Now, did I tell you about the newest song Kitty Section is writing?" Luka asked.

"No, what is it?" Marinette asked, very intrigued.

The conversation went on, only stopping when their food came and in between bites of fish and chips and laughter Marinette couldn't help but imagine how pleasant dating this boy would be.

He would make her feel cherished and they went so well together. As Luka paid the bill Marinette found herself caught up in fantasies of more luncheon dates just like this one. 

Maybe she would give Luka her answer sooner than she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So today I learned that I can't write Lukanette very easily... oh well. Guess I'll have to learn!


	8. Day Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get an Adrigami ice cream meet-up! Whether this meet-up is a date or a hangout... we'll just have to see!

For once, Adrien’s dreams didn’t mess with his head. He hoped that was a sign of moving on.

He was meeting Kagami today after all. They had made plans to meet back on Sunday and surprisingly, their parents had approved of them to go out for an hour and a half later than usual. Even if it was for the wrong reasons, Adrien was grateful that his father approved of Kagami, it certainly made things like this easier.

But was this? Was it a date? A hangout? Somewhere in between? His relationship with Kagami was complicated to say the least. He knew that he liked her a lot! She could empathize with his family’s situation and was a blast to hang out with. Yet, he couldn’t see himself taking the relationship further than casual cheek kisses.

Hopefully, he would be able to explain himself today. If he had any luck at all, then she would understand and not press for questions. Although, she hasn’t pressed for an explanation yet, even though he could tell that she was getting impatient. In a perfect world she would accept the “I have a secret and that’s why I can’t tell you!” excuse, but this wasn’t a perfect world and his so-called “excuse” was crap. Unless he revealed his identity, Kagami wouldn’t be able to understand why he couldn’t tell her the name of the mystery-girl. He couldn’t do that. He cared about Kagami a lot and would never want for her to be in danger. Her knowing that he was Chat Noir? That would definitely put her in danger.

He chuckled to himself as he watched kids play in the park while he walked to wear he and Kagami were meeting up. They had agreed to go and meet up by the fountain at the Place de Vosges.

“You ready for this kid?” Plagg whispered, making sure he would remain unseen.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. I hope Kagami will understand.”

“If she’s the one for you then she will.” Adrien smiled. At least that was true, if Kagami was disappointed that was understandable, so was being upset. But, if she demanded he tell her this secret even after explaining why he couldn’t, then he knew it wouldn’t work out between them.

Although, it was a bit worrying that he would possibly have to ditch dates to go and hunt akumas. If they started seriously dating, he would definitely have to talk to Ladybug about revealing his identity. It wasn’t a good basis in any relationship to have such a secret between them and hopefully Ladybug would approve of Kagami. After all, she allowed her to have the Dragon miraculous even after she revealed her identity. Adrien had full faith that Kagami wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

“Hello Adrien.” A voice greeted him. He saw Kagami standing by him. When had she gotten here?

“Hi Kagami! You snuck up on me!” He told her. She gave him a smile. She had been doing that more often and he was incredibly thankful. She used to never smile, being incredibly stoic. He suspected that meeting Marinette and him and actually making friends had brought her smile back. It was a good thing too. Her natural smile was quite beautiful.

“Yes, you looked deep in thought and I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Oh no! You didn’t interrupt at all I was just,” he paused, “trying to figure out what to say.”

“What to say?” Kagami asked.

“Yeah, I haven’t been very fair to you these past few weeks, but I just haven’t been sure about how to explain what’s going on. You deserve the truth, but I couldn’t give it to you and that wasn’t fair. So, I could only tell you the partial truth but that wasn’t fair either so I talked to Marinette,”

“Marinette?” Kagami interrupted his ramblings.

“Yeah, I talked to her about what she thought I should do and tell you and I’ve come up with a solution.” She grabbed his arm and squeezed it comfortably.

“An explanation would be nice.” She told him.

“Yeah, I know, but I still can’t give you the full truth. I’m sorry. I know you deserve something better, but there’s nothing I can do.” Kagami studied his face for a moment. 

“Alright Adrien.” He took in a deep breath.

“So, there’s this girl, as I’m sure you’ve suspected.”

“It was the most rational explanation why we’re not together despite the mutual feelings, yes.” His face flushed at her direct words, but that’s the way it was with Kagami. She always told him exactly how it was and he was very thankful for it.

“Yeah, so anyway, I like this girl.”

“Is this the same girl I told you to change targets over?” She inquired.

“Yes, it is. I’ve been trying to move on from her to you, but it’s hard.” Kagami hummed.

“Who is this girl?” She asked. Adrien squeezed their still joined hands.

“Remember how I told you that I couldn’t tell you the complete truth?” She nodded. “Well, I can’t tell you who she is.”

“Why?”

“Because, well I don’t even know her name myself.”

“And yet you’ve fallen for her?” Adrien nodded. She sighed. “I won’t pretend that this doesn’t hurt me, but,” she squeezed their hands. “Thank you for telling me. I’m sure it must’ve been nerve wracking.” Adrien nodded as he felt relief fill him.

“It was, it really was.”

“When you do get over her, you will tell me right?”

“Of course I will Kagami.” He told her. “As soon as I get over her I will ask you out formally, but it's not fair to you to start something when my heart isn’t 100% in it.”

“I’m holding that to you.” Adrien laughed.

“I’m counting on it.”

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Kagami pulled out her phone. “Wanna get Andres?” He grinned.

“Definitely! Where is he?” He pulled out his own phone and started to scour the internet under hashtags that would lead them to him.

“Here Adrien!” Kagami showed him a photo of Andre at the Trocadero.

“Alright! Let’s go!” He said happily as he pulled her along.

“Whoa! Adrien!” Kagami giggled as they wove through the crowds. He was aware of some paparazzi taking photos of him, but he honestly couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Come on! The sooner we get there the less of a chance we have to wait in a huge line.”

“We have an hour and a half.” She remembered him.

“And I would rather spend that time sharing the ice cream with you then in line. Besides, the more we’re in line the more chance people will take photos.” Still, he slowed his pace.

“They will most likely take photos anyway.”

“I know, I know.”

“At least our parents approve of us becoming romantically involved.”

“I guess that’s true.” Adrien couldn’t imagine how rough it would be if his father didn’t approve of Kagami. 

“So Adrien, how was your weekend?” Kagami asked.

“Well, on Saturday I actually snuck out.” He said sheepishly. Kagami gasped.

“You? Adrien? Sneaking out?” She said faking an appalled tone.

“Yeah, yeah I know. I got to pick out Alya’s dress for her date with Nino though!”

“They are a very cute couple. It’s a good thing that your matchmaking skills failed spectacularly.” 

“Hey!” He pouted. “I still can’t believe Marinette told you that story.”

“It’s good blackmail material, you know.”

“Well, you’ve got to have some good blackmail material yourself.” He nudged his side into hers. She bit her lip.

“Not really. I’ve never gone to school, I’ve never even had a friend before you and Marinette.” She explained. A wave of understanding and sorrow ran through him.

“I’m sorry.” He told her.

“It’s very sweet of you to be concerned, Adrien, but it’s alright. Really! Meeting you and Marinette and getting to make real friends has been amazing.”

“I wish there was a way to convince your mom that you could come to school with us. We’d be able to spend more time together, too!” Kagami gave him a smile.

“Yeah, that would be amazing.”

“I could teach you all sorts of things about school culture!” She let out a laugh, those were even rarer than he smiles and he considered himself blessed whenever he got to hear it.

“No offense Adrien, but I don’t think you’re the most qualified for teaching me about school culture. Nino or Alya would be much more reasonable.” He sighed.

“Yeah, I know. I could still try though! I mean, you now know all about the extraordinary fist bump!”

“I knew what a fist bump was.” She said, indignant.

“But did you ever get the opportunity to partake in one?” He grinned.

“Well….” She trailed off. He pretended to be shocked, despite knowing that as Ryuko she had done the classic fist bump along with Ladybug and himself.

“Kagami!” He asked. “When was this?”

“I don’t tell you everything, you know.” She smirked. He pouted.

“Alright, that’s fair. Everyone is allowed to have their secrets.” He relented, him having several secrets himself.

“Yes, they are. That’s why they’re called secrets and it’s what makes telling your secrets so much more important.” He squeezed her hand in understanding.

“One day.” He told her. “I promise you one day, I’ll tell you my secrets.”

“And I mine.” She squeezed his hand back. Suddenly, she looked up and around. “Hey, do you hear that?” He concentrated and sure enough there was a faint sound in the air.

“My name is Andre! Andre Glacier!”

“Andre!” He smiled.

“Let’s go!” Suddenly Kagami pulled him and sped up.

“Ack! Give me a warning next time!” He told her.

“Sorry Adrien.” But the look on her face told him that she wasn’t sorry one bit.

“Yeah-huh. Sure.”

“Weren’t you the one complaining about waiting in line earlier?” She smirked.

“Touche, Kagami, touche.”

Luckily, there was no line, which was very strange. Well, it was a weekday people were probably at work or something. “Ah Kagami and Adrien! Welcome back to my stand.” Andre greeted them.

“Hello Andre, we’d like a couple scoop.” Adrien told him. He hummed.

“Orange and peppermint meet in sweet bliss! With these two flavors nothing can go amiss.” He recited as he gathered their scoop.

“Thank you Andre.” Kagami said as he handed her the scoop.

“Come again you two!” He waved them goodbye. 

“Let’s go find somewhere to sit.” He led her over to one of the benches and offered her his hand as they sat down.

“Say ahhh.” Kagami scooped up a bit of ice cream and he opened his mouth.

“Ahhh.” The flavors hit him. Orange and peppermint, it was a combination that was slowly growing on him, even if he didn’t care for it for more than a few seconds. “Your turn.” He grinned. She opened her mouth.

“Mmm. You know, I never thought orange and peppermint would’ve tasted so well together.” She told him.

“Me neither. I wonder if Marinette could make us some orange and peppermint baked goods.”

“Yeah, that would be very nice of her. What’s your favorite baked good?”

“Well croissants are my top, but I prefer them without flavor.”

“Not even chocolate croissants?” Kagami asked, disbelieving.

“Why would you try and fix perfection?” Adrien shot back. “As far as my favorite flavored baked good goes it has to be macaroons.” He said.

“Then next time we see Marinette, we will have to ask her for a batch of peppermint and orange macaroons.”

“I’ll ask her for them tomorrow, then get back to you during fencing practice.”

“Okay, thank you. Maybe we could have a picnic with those macaroons? I’m sure both of our parents would approve.”

“It would certainly fuel the tabloids.” Adrien mused.

“If we show them that we had a strong friendship, maybe they will be more hesitant to criticize our relationship.”

“Not likely.” Adrien grit his teeth.

“Well, then that’s just another thing we’ll have to face together, right?” Kagami grabbed his hand.

“Yeah, definitely.” He turned towards her. Her almond eyes met his green ones. They just stared for longer than necessary. Suddenly, her eyes flickered to his lips.

_Wait._

She started to lean in.

_Abort!_

“So! We should probably eat this ice cream now, huh?” His voice was louder than normal, he knew that, but he wasn’t ready. Wasn’t ready for kissing like that quite yet. He hoped he would be soon. “It’s nearly melted after all.” He raised a filled spoon to her mouth, pursed into thin lines.

He hoped that he hadn’t just screwed up everything between them. He just needed to take it slow. Very, _very_ slow.

Then she smiled and Adrien thanked his lucky stars.

“Yes, it shouldn’t go to waste.” And she accepted his scoop.

“Ahh.” He opened his mouth for a scoop of his own and heard a small giggle come from Kagami. Suddenly there was something cold and sticky and wet on his cheek. “Hey!” He cried indignantly. She smirked.

He grabbed a scoop of ice cream and then flicked it on her forehead. Her mouth opened in an “o”.

“Revenge is cold and sweet, therefore,” he readied his weapon. “Revenge” flick on her cheek, “is” flick on her other cheek, “ice cream.” He finished with a flick on her nose. Her eyes narrowed and his grinned widened, but soon was wiped off his face.

In his moment of weakness, he had allowed his hold on his scoop to loosen and in that moment Kagami had struck. The ice cream cone landed on his forehead and his jaw dropped.

“Kagami!” He gasped as she burst into giggles. Oh well, at least she wasn’t mad at him anymore.

“It’s like you said Adrien! Revenge is ice cream.” He scowled as he pulled the cone off his forehead. Kagami took one look at him and started laughing again. A Chat Noir level smirked formed on his face as he realized her eyes were closed and therefore, she was vulnerable.

“Eeck!” She cried as the ice cream cone met the bridge of her own. “Cold!” She cried. It was his turn to laugh.

“That’s what you get!” He grinned. She pulled the cone of her face and then she saw the fire in his eyes.

He thought it would be a good idea to run away. Fast and now.

“Get back here!” Kagami cried as Adrien took off across the Trocadero.

“Never!” He called running. Unfortunately, Kagami was incredibly athletic and was able to catch up with him, although he wasn’t using his full speed. You couldn’t exactly save Paris on a nearly daily basis without becoming athletic.

“Haha!” She cried and something cold met the back of his head.

“Kagami!” He wailed. “It’s gonna take forever for me to get that out of my hair!” He complained.

“You should’ve thought about that before you decided to run.” She shot at him.

“You started it.”

“I saw an opportunity and I took it, I never hesitate.” He laughed and shook his head.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t really feel like eating an ice cream with hair and dead skin and Lord knows what else in it.” He took the cone out of his hair.

“I would have to agree with you on that.” She wrinkled her nose.

“But we still have plenty of time to spend together and I would rather not let that go to waste.”

“Me neither. What do you suggest that we do?” He smirked. 

“What do you say we bribe the Gorilla and catch a movie?” She wore an equal smirk as she offered him her hand, which he took.

“I’d say that sounds perfect.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love them.


	9. Day Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What seems like a normal school day turns out to be anything but.

Adrien yawned as he walked into the chattering classroom. He hadn’t gotten good sleep last night, mostly because he had stayed up late kicking himself for not kissing Kagami. 

“Sup dude?” Nino greeted Adrien and gave him a fist bump. 

“Regretting life decisions.” Adrien answered, too tired to lie.

“What’s going on? Does this have anything to do with our conversation on Friday?” Adrien scanned his brain, trying to find what conversation Nino was talking about and coming up short.

“What conversation?”

“Seriously? The one about a certain baker’s daughter?” The texts come back to Adrien. 

“What? No! Although it is girl trouble.” He said, sliding into his seat.

“Ah, let me guess, Kagami.” Adrien nodded his head.

“We went and got Adrien’s ice cream yesterday and everything was great until…” He trailed off.

“Until…?” Nino prodded him to continue.

“A kissing moment came up.” Adrien said.

“Oh, so did you kiss her?” Nino asked. Adrien sighed. “Wow dude.”

“What’s wrong with me Nino? Kagami is by all means my dream girl! Why can’t I…?” Adrien was unsure about how to finish his sentence.

“Dude, if you don’t feel that way about her that’s perfectly fine, you know that right? Sometimes the person who’s really meant for you is right in front of you.” 

“Easy for you to say.” Adrien groaned. “ You’ve been in a steady relationship with Alya for months!” 

“One year this October.” Nino answered, grinning proudly. 

“Yeah, see? It’s easy for you to think everything can be fixed with a wave of the hand because that’s how it worked for you.”

“Now, now, remember who I was so caught up in before I realized I loved Alya?”

“Marinette.” Adrien answered.

“Exactly, now Marinette is an amazing girl and many of us have crushed on her or are crushing on her.” Adrien narrowed his eyes. “But, if she and I had gotten into a relationship it wouldn’t have worked. You know why?”

“Why?” Adrien humored Nino.

“Because she and I weren't meant to be and the person who I thought would forever be a sister to me turned out to be the love of my life.” 

“Okay? I don’t see what the point is.”

“The point is, sometimes the person you think you like or think you should like is not the person you’re meant to be with. It’s no fault of the people involved, it’s just how things work sometimes.” 

“So, you think I should give up on Kagami?” Adrien asked.

“Now, I didn’t say that.” Nino told him. “I’m just saying that if things don’t work out between you two, it’s okay. You two will both have someone out there perfect for you. Whether that’s each other or not,” Nino shrugged. “That’s up to you.”

“Thanks Nino.”

“But Adrien, do you want my honest opinion?” Adrien nodded. “I think that if you and Kagami were meant to be, you two would be together already. I don’t see why you’re taking it slow for any reason except you don’t like her like that.” Adrien sighed.

“If only it were that simple Nino.”

“I mean you like her right?” Adrien nodded. “And she likes you?” Another nod. “And I’m assuming that your parents approve of you two becoming an item?” Yet another nod. “So why isn’t it that simple?” 

“Because it just isn’t.”

“Does this have something to do with what you were talking about with Marinette?” Nino asked. He nodded. “Can you tell me?”

“I can’t tell you all the details, but I can tell you what I told her and Kagami.”

“Well, you don’t have to tell me, but I’d like to know what’s happening in my best bro’s life.” 

“Okay, but you can’t tell anyone.” Adrien told him.

“Not even Alya?”

“Especially not Alya.” Nino didn’t look happy at the fact he’d have to lie to his girlfriend, but he sighed and nodded his head.

“Alright dude, now what’s up?”

“I’m not dating Kagami because while I like her, there’s another girl who I like as well.” Nino’s eyes went wide.

“Seriously? Dude! You’ve been holding out on me! Who is it?” Adrien chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I honestly don’t know.” He answered. 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Nino hissed.

“Exactly that. I don’t know her name.”

“Why not?” Nino whisper-shouted indignantly.

“I can’t tell you.” Adrien said.

“Why not?” Nino didn’t try to hide the hurt in his voice.

“Because I’ve got a secret and if I tell you why I don’t know this girl’s name, then you’ll figure out this secret.” Adrien explained, practically begging whatever controlled fate up there that Nino would understand.

“And me finding out this secret would be bad?” Adrien nodded.

“Catastrophic.” Ha! _Cat_ astrophic. He was hilarious. 

Nino leaned forward and looked at Adrien under a scrutinizing gaze. After a moment, Nino leaned back.

“Alright. So on one hand you’ve got Kagami and on the other hand you have your mystery girl. So you’re stuck in a love triangle between the two of them and don’t know who to choose.” 

“Well, not exactly. There’s an obvious choice here.”

“Which is…?” Nino prodded.

“Kagami. I’ve confessed to the mystery girl and she's told me multiple times that while I’m an incredibly valued friend, she has her own boy.” Nino flinched.

“That sucks. Sorry dude.”

“Yeah, it really does suck, but it’s okay Nino, really! That’s why I’m moving on to Kagami.”

“But you don’t want to date her until you’re completely over the other girl.” Adrien nodded.

“Yep, it wouldn’t be fair to Kagami or me to date her without my whole heart in it. I mean, I can’t even kiss her yet!” 

“That’s rough buddy.” Nino patted his back.

“Oh be quiet Prince Zuko.” Adrien grumbled.

“Look dude, in all seriousness I think that’s it’s super mature of you to go out and not date Kagami just yet, really.”

“You do? You don't think it’s selfish of me to keep her in this place between friends and more?” 

“You’ve told her about all of this, right?” Adrien nodded.

“Then it’s not selfish. Sure, it sucks on both of your accounts, but you are right. Kagami will expect something more than holding hands and ice cream dates if you become her boyfriend.”

“I know.” Adrien mumbled.

“If you become her boyfriend, but don’t be a good boyfriend then your relationship would go downhill real fast.” Nino said. “Waiting until you can give her what she deserves is the right decision, even if it seems like it’s not.” Adrien shot his friend a grateful smile.

“Thanks Nino, I really needed to hear that.”

“It’s my job as your best friend to cheer you up about any troubles you have whether girls or anything else.” Adrien chuckled, he was sure glad he had Nino.

“Ditto dude.” 

“Hey boys.” Alya's voice greeted them.

“Hey babe!”

“Hey Alya, is Marinette late again?” Adrien asked, looking around for the bluenette.

“Isn’t she always?” Alya said. 

“Have you two seen my new post on the Ladyblog?” She asked, changing subjects.

“Yeah! It was this Sunday’s akuma attack, right?”

“Yep! Not only did I post footage of the fight, but I also rated how absurd the past akumas have been and shared a link for others to do the same. Hopefully I’ll get plenty of entries and we can all see each other’s opinions.”

“What’d you rate the Bubbler?” Nino asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Alya gave him a deadpan look.

“One of the most ridiculous of all. Your power was literally trapping adults in bubbles and your costume? Oh it was horrendous! You should hear Marinette ranting about it, Nino, she said it was ‘a disgrace to all fashion’.” Alya quoted. Nino flinched.

“Yeah, yeah, okay I guess that I deserve that.”

“Damn right you deserve that.”

“What’d you rate Lady WiFi?” Adrien asked. Alya smirked.

“She was one of the better akumas.” Nino put his nose in the air.

“Do you smell that?” He asked, sniffing.

“Smell what?” Adrien asked. Nino’s face broke into a grin.

“Bias.” Alya scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“My powers were incredibly useful, I had an actual good costume and if security cameras and news footage can be believed, then I trapped Ladybug and Chat Noir in a corner.”

“Yet you thought that the mask was just supposed to come off.” Nino mused, Alya flushed.

“Well, how was I supposed to know?” 

“Babe, if the masks came off that easily, they would slip off during battle.” Nino chuckled. 

“Hmph.” Alya crossed her arms.

“Alright students! Let’s get started.” Mme. Bustier called out across the classroom. “Agreste, Adrien.”

“Here!” 

“Bourgeois, Chloe?”

“Here!”

“Cesaire, Alya?”

“Here!”

“Dupain-Cheng, Marinette?”

Silence.

“Dupain-Cheng, Marinette?” Mme. Bustier called again.

“Here!” Marinette burst into the classroom, out of breath.

“Please take your seat Marinette, and talk to your parents about how to get you here on time.” Mme. Bustier said kindly. 

“I will Mme. Bustier.” Marinette took her seat. 

“Alright students, we are all here today which is fantastic because today we have a very important message from the one and only Gabriel Agreste.” Adrien sat a little straighter up in his seat at the mention of his father’s name. 

Mme. Bustier dimmed the lights, got out the projection board, and pressed a few buttons on her computer, then his father’s face was projected on the board. 

“Hello Mme. Bustier’s class and congratulations.” Adrien blinked in disbelief, was his father… smiling? He didn’t remember the last time his father had smiled at him. Probably at the Style Queen fashion show. “You have all won a great prize!” He continued. Adrien’s brows furrowed. 

“Did you know about this dude?” Nino whispered. Adrien shook his head. 

“I would like to invite you all to my personal island.”

Wait, what? 

Back when his mom was still alive, they would all go to the island at Christmastime. Emilie always hated the cold, so they all spent the week at some place tropical. But, as soon as his mom went missing, Gabriel made it clear they wouldn’t be going back. Adrien thought that he had sold the island.

“To partake in a series of competitions. Two of you, one girl and one boy, will win the grand prize.

“Those of you who won’t win will get at least one week at a tropical paradise with your classmates, with no charge.”

Okay, that was definitely strange. His father hadn’t mentioned anything about this to Adrien and it was very rare that Gabriel would do something that wouldn’t make him money. 

Even rarer was him doing something out of the good of his heart.

“As far as what the grand prize will be, it will be up to the winners. Everyone is different and therefore, everyone would want different things. I’m a very influential man and I would try my hardest to get you whatever you would like.”

There has to be a catch here.

“Now, I’m sure many of you think that this is too good to be true, which is very fair. If I were in your place I would believe that this was all a hoax.

“However, let me assure you that there is no catch here. You have the top grades in one of the top schools across the entire country. I would like to reward you all for the hard work you’ve put in.

“The school year is almost over and for the remaining days you all will be tutored by only the best, the same tutors I had for my son. You will take your exams and then spend the rest of your time on the island in the summertime.

“You could stay on this island anywhere from one week to a bit over two months, however long you stay in the competitions, which will take place once a week. Every Wednesday to be exact. 

“Because we will be spending such a long time on the island we will need several chaperones. Your parents have already been alerted and asked for their help. Mme. Bustier will also be joining us.

“We will depart for the island exactly one week from today at eight am and arrive that afternoon.

“Please alert your teacher immediately if you’re going to go so that way we can plan the amount of food we need and bunking arrangements.

“On this island, you will not have a schedule except for the competitions, if you fail to show up, you will be immediately disqualified.” Adrien couldn’t believe his ears. 

There wouldn’t be a schedule? Adrien could do whatever he wanted? What was going on? Was there an akuma making his father act like this? He had never known his father to give his gratitude in such a huge way. 

In fact, if Adrien was anything other than first or perfection, his father would often scold him. He rarely ever got a reward for doing something well.

Although, he did let him go to the Kitty Section concert that one time!

“If you are planning on going, be sure you pack enough for the two months, even if you don’t make it, you should always plan for success.

“You must also fill out a form that has been attached with the email that Nathalie has sent out to your parents. This will tell us what allergies you have and if there are any precautions we need to take. I want to ensure your safety, but I can only do that if you tell us what we must keep you safe from.

“Rest assured, this knowledge will not be seen by anyone other than myself and Nathalie. I understand firsthand how important privacy is and would not want any of your privacy to be taken away. 

“I hope that you all will take this opportunity that I have offered you. If you do, Nathalie will be in contact with more details about the trip. Make sure you alert us of your answer ASAP so we have plenty of time to plan.

“Good day to all of you.” With that, Gabriel’s face left the screen and the classroom burst into sound.

“Oh my gosh! This is amazing!” Alya squealed.

“Hell yeah it’s amazing! Months on a tropical island with my best buds and girlfriend? Sign me up!” Nino cheered. Marinette smiled a small smile.

“Oh Marinette this is going to be absolutely amazing! We have to get matching bathing suits!” Alya told her best friend enthusiastically. 

“We’ll see Alya.”

“What do you mean we’ll see? We want to look our best right?”

“Yes but-.” A sharp whistle rang through the air. 

“Students! I understand that this is very exciting news, but we still have a class to attend to. We have all emailed your parents about this rare opportunity and I encourage you all to talk to them tonight. Now, let’s dive into our reading, please open up to page 258….”

Adrien tuned Mme. Bustier out, deep in thought.

This was incredibly odd, people could see that right? 

Well, maybe not. To any outsiders it may seem normal for a rich celebrity to award his son’s class for their success, but to those who knew Gabriel?

They knew that after his wife disappeared off the Earth he had closed in on himself and had become, well not selfish, but he definitely wasn’t the most generous person who ever graced the Earth. 

They must have done something pretty amazing for Gabriel to do all this work to reward them.

Adrien had no clue what it was. Was it truly only grades or had they done something else to gain his approval.

“Well I know my mom can’t chaperone, she’s the head chef at The Grand Paris!”

“My dad can’t either, he’s too busy with the Louvre.”

“Daddykins is much too important to do something so mundane.”

Wait a minute… most of the people in his class had rich and powerful parents, or at least parents with respectful backgrounds.

Adrien would bet his entire anime collection that the only reason Gabriel was doing this was so he could build up influences. 

Great, just great. 

Adrien hit his head on the table, a sinking feeling making itself home in his stomach.

Why did he think he’d done something to please his father?

His father is never pleased.

But, on the bright side, his father would most likely let him go! 

Of course, he’d have to talk to Ladybug about it, but he was certain she’d understand. If the worst happened he could always use those space powers Master Fu told him about and fly back to Paris!

Feeling better, he lifted his head up and started to talk to Nino about his plans for the trip.

Oh, he couldn’t wait!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The deception has started.


	10. Day Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lunch hang and some talks with the parents and a Ladybug kwmai!

Marinette's mind was still reeling. Had that really happened? Had Gabriel Agreste really invited everyone to join him on a private island for a competition that he'd be hosting? She couldn't believe it! There wasn't any cost too! It was almost too good to be true.

Yet, it was!

If her parents agreed then she would be able to go on a once in a lifetime opportunity and she was pretty sure that they would. They had offered to start a completely new life in New York just for her! Surely they wouldn't mind her going on a trip where there would be plenty respectful people. Maybe they could even chaperon!

On second thought, they probably couldn't chaperon, the bakery was booming with business, especially as the summer rush began. Oh well, she was sure that even though they weren't going to go, they would let her!

The only thing that prevented her from going was the thing that woke her up this morning.

No, not her alarm, her Ladybug duties.

Hakwmoth had decided to send out another late night akuma making both her and Chat Noir out of the game when they showed up. Because of that and because he still refused to talk to her for any longer than necessary it had taken hours for the akuma to be settled and she couldn't get back to sleep.

Her and Tikki hadn't gotten a chance to talk about it last night thanks to homework and her working in the bakery. Her parents obviously hadn't seen the email yet, because they hadn't even breathed a word about it to Marinette.

So, Marinette had resolved to talk to both Tikki and her parents after all her responsibilities were out of the way. Now, she just needed to compose an essay about why Tikki should let her leave Paris' for up to two months. She knew that there had to be a solution to this.

The horse miraculous was a very obvious one, but not exactly the most subtle. She couldn't exactly start wearing glasses 24/7 without someone suspecting something was up. Even if she claimed that it was for fashion, those glasses most likely wouldn't work with every outfit she had.

Of course there was the possibility of her just keeping the miraculous by her or on her person, but considering that she's broken _Alya's_ glasses one time she was sure that the miraculous wouldn't be the safest from her clumsiness.

Then there were the extra powers she had. The ice, water, and Master Fu had told her of space powers that would essentially make her an astronaut and be able to travel very, _very_ fast. Maybe even fast enough for her to make a quick journey from the island to Paris back to the island.

Now there was a possibility that it would cause her to be late to a competition and get disqualified, but at least it was a way that she could go! Superheroes deserved breaks too and she had been incredibly stressed out recently.

"Why the long face?" Alya asked as she sat in the chair next to Marinette. The two girls were out to lunch with Nino and Adrien.

 _'This is not a double date.'_ Marinette reminded herself. _'It's four best friends hanging out and two of them just happen to be dating. You and Adrien are just friends. Got that?'_ Her brain told her heart. _'Good.'_

Then, she caught sight of the angel.

 _'Not good! Not good at all!'_ Her brain wailed as her heart went off to la-la-land. 

"Oh, I see." Alya said slyly. Marinette let out a groan and smacked her head on the table as Adrien walked up to them.

"Are you okay Marinette?" Adrien asked her. She just gave him a thumbs up, readying herself to look at him.

"She didn't get much sleep last night, the akuma was right by her neighborhood." Alya covered for her easily. Marinette mentally thanked her quick-thinking best friend.

"Ah, yeah. I could hear it all the way in the mansion."

"What was Hawkmoth thinking?" Nino asked as he came up to all of them.

"Probably that no one deserves a sleeping schedule while he doesn't have the miraculouses." Alya muttered.

"He's a jerk." Marinette registered her own voice speaking.

"Amen to that." Adrien said sitting down.

 _'Oh my gosh! Adrien agreed with me! This is the best day of my- NO! Bad Marinette! Of course he would agree with you about Hawkmoth being a bad person! It doesn't mean anything! What happened to asking Luka out in a few days?'_ She thought desperately.

Oh she was a mess. Everyday it seemed that her heart flip-flopped between the two boys. One day she would think that she was ready to ask out Luka! Only to be turned into a stuttering blushing mess by Adrien the very next day.

Why was her heart so fickle!

Why couldn't she just stick to the guy who actually returned her feelings for once?

"So... have you guys talked to your family about Monsieur Agreste's announcement?" Alya asked.

"I talked with my parents about it last night." Nino said grinning. "They said yes guys!"

"Yes!" Alya cheered. "My parents said yes too."

"I'm talking to them tonight." Marinette said, picking her head off the table.

"They're totally going to say yes! And if they feel nervous about letting you go abroad with a bunch of strangers then just tell them that Gabriel Agreste's own son is going. I think we all know how protective ol' Gabe is about his son, if that doesn't make them feel better I don't know what will." Nino told her excitedly.

"Oh yes, please keep talking about me like I'm not even here." Adrien said dryly. Nino shot him a sheepish look.

"Sorry dude."

"No worries. Now, I'm assuming I am expected to go seeing as my father is hosting this whole thing-."

"Alright!" Nino's cheer interrupted Adrien.

"But, that's only an assumption."

"You really think they'd leave you all by yourself for several months?" Alya asked, aghast.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Adrien said grimly. Nino let out a whistle.

"Harsh." The conversation paused as a waitress came and took their order.

"Yeah, it's very harsh." Adrien said after the waitress was gone. "But, I'm afraid that's how it works sometimes. He's left me home alone for longer." Marinette frowned.

"That's not right." She thought out loud.

"I know Mari, trust me I know, but I don't really have a choice. I'm still a minor. Honestly? I'm surprised he's stopped being so strict about me eating lunch with you guys." Adrien gave them a smile that made Marinette's heart humble on its rhythm.

 _'Bad heart! Bad heart!'_ She scolded, even though it was no use. It truly had a mind of its own, playing this game of ping pong with her caught in the middle.

She really did feel like a ping pong ball sometimes, bouncing from Luka's side to Adrien's to Luka's to Adrien's and wait... why was everyone looking at her?

"S-sorry." She said flushing. "What was that?"

"I just asked what you would want if you were to win." Adrien gave her that same damn smile that still appeared in her dreams. His real one. He was unfairly attractive.

"Oh! Well, I'd probably ask for an internship." Marinette said trying to focus on winning the prize rather than on Adrien's face.

"Yeah totally! Although, if you ask me you wouldn't even need to win to get an internship." Adrien told her, looking at her so softly.

 _'Mayday! Mayday! We need backup!_ ' Her mind screamed.

 _'Emma, Louis, Hugo, a hamster, we'll get married, and-.'_ Her heart replied.

Did he even know what he was doing to her? Probably not. Adrien was incredibly oblivious when it came to people's feelings. He hadn't even realized Kagami was very much interested in him romantically until she had burst into his bedroom and confessed, akumatized and all.

"You thank," Wait, that wasn't right, "I mean, thau yok" that wasn't it either. Come on Mari! Compose yourself! "Thank you." She breathed.

"No problem Marinette."

"You know what I'd ask for?" Alya asked.

"What?" Nino asked.

"An interview with all the heroes of Paris. Even the temporary ones. I'm sure Gabriel Agreste could get a message to Ladybug." Marinette smiled a secret smile.

Oh, if only she knew that Ladybug was right next to her. She would probably be met with an hour of screeching, an hour of questions, and then yet another hour of fangirling, if she ever revealed herself to Alya. 

Maybe one day after Hawkmoth was gone, although Chat would have to be first.

If he still wanted that of course.

Oh she was being silly, of course he would still want to know her after Hawkmoth was gone!

... Right?

"Well I'm keeping my wish private." Nino said. "It's bad luck to tell anyone else."

"Luck schmuck!" Alya waved it off. "Tell us!"

"Sorry babe, I'm afraid that my lips are sealed. After all, I wouldn't want to jinx anything." He winked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marinette demanded.

"Nope! Not telling you either." Nino grinned. Marinette crossed her arms and grumbled. A laugh rang in the air.

"Good going Nino, you've made our smol be an angry smol." Adrien continued to laugh as Marinette's face got redder and redder and redder.

He thought she was smol?

He thought she was smol!

 _Adrien_ thought that she was _smol_!

 _'Alright that's it I'm out of here.'_ Said her rational thought in her mind.

 _'Grnk.'_ The rest of her replied.

"Oops, sorry Mari." Nino grinned, showing her that he really wasn't sorry at all.

"I hate secrets." she told him, pouting.

"Oh no, you aren't going to make me feel guilty on this one." Nino said smugly. "This is one secret that I won't budge on."

"Why not?" Adrien asked, also pouting.

Oh was that _cute._

It almost reminded her of Chat's pout.

Wait, what was she doing?

Comparing Adrien to Chat Noir?

Oh she must be more tired than she thought if she thought that Adrien looked at least a little like Chat Noir. Her rational thought had definitely left her.

"Because it would be embarrassing for pretty much all of us if I tell you now. Things must happen before I reveal my wish." Nino said, smirking. "After all, we wouldn't want some secrets getting out in the open now would we?" He gave Mari the side-eye.

Hold up, was he insinuating what she thought he was insinuating?

Oh that boy was asking for it.

He raised his eyebrows as if to dare her to contradict him.

"Fine, keep your secrets." He might've won this battle, but she will win the war.

"I will, thank you."

The waitress came back with their food and they all stopped to eat.

The rest of the break passed with them joking and talking with one another and if anyone claimed that Marinette's heart was beating abnormally fast whenever a certain model spoke, then she would deny it to her last breath.

"Hey Tikki? Do you think I can go on this trip?" Marinette asked her kwami that night after homework was done.

"Well, we'd have to acknowledge you would be leaving Paris for quite some time."

"I know, but I was thinking, I could use those space powers that Master Fu told me about to fly back!" Marinette said excitedly. Tikki gave her a smile.

"While that would be a terrific solution while Master Fu was still here, I'm afraid of what will happen to the Miracle Box if it gets left here alone. What if your mom finds it?" Tikki asked.

"I thought about that too." Marinette said. "But Tikki! Master Fu left me with the phonograph! I can hide it in there and tell Maman that I picked it up at the craft market." Marinette realized.

"Hmm and that would allow you to have it hidden and locked away, seeing as only you and I know the code."

"And Wayzz." Marinette said.

"And Wayzz, but he's not in use." The turtle kwami had stuck around for about the first week of Marinette's Guardianship, but she could tell that he was tired and missed Master Fu as much as she did. So, she allowed him to get some rest and told them that if they needed him, they would come and get him.

"So, do you think it could work?" Marinette asked, nearly jumping up and down.

"Well, those space powers would allow you to come back fast if anything were to happen."

"And I can hide the phonograph somewhere as well!" Marinette said. "Oh please let me go Tikki? I've been so stressed recently between my feelings and Chat Noir and-."

"Oh alright, you may go. You work hard Marinette and deserve a break."

"Thank you Tikki!" Marinette was ecstatic.

"You're very welcome Marinette." Tikki flew up to hug her cheek.

"Now we just have to talk to my parents about it." She told her kwami.

"Marinette! Can you come down here please? There's something your father and I would like to talk to you about!" Her mother's voice rang through the house.

"Speak of the devil." Marinette muttered. "Alright, come on Tikki! Let's go." She rushed down the stairs to see her parents sitting at the table with the computer in front of Tom and a sheet of paper in front of Sabine.

 _'That must be the form M. Agreste was talking about!'_ Marinette realized.

"So, Marinette, apparently there was a very special announcement in your class yesterday." Her mother started, eyes twinkling. Marinette nodded.

"Yeah there was!"

"Well, how do you feel about this announcement Marinette?" Her father asked her.

"I think that I really, really want to go and join my friends and try and win this grand prize."

"What would you ask for?" Sabine asked.

"I would probably ask for him to look at my designs and give me feedback, maybe even an internship. Although, I'd rather get an internship based off of talent and talent alone. Maybe I'll ask to shadow him or something." Marinette said.

"Do you know who all is going yet?" Tom asked.

"Alya and Nino for sure. Adrien is assuming that he'll get to come because it's his father's who's hosting the whole thing but he's not sure. As for everyone else," Marinette shrugged.

"How do you feel about the safety of this trip?" Sabine asked. Marinette was suddenly thankful for Nino's explanation earlier.

"I think that Gabriel Agreste is trusting his own son to be on this trip and he didn't even let Adrien go to school because it was too dangerous. If it's good enough for an overprotective father, then it's good enough for me."

Her parents exchanged glances and for a second, Marinette wondered if she had been too harsh. Then, they broke into matching smiles.

"Alright Marinette, your father and I have decided. We'll allow you to go on this trip, but the moment something happens that you aren't comfortable with, call us okay?" Marinette nodded.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She was elated.

This was going to be a great stress reliever! She could just kick back, relax and focus on winning that grand prize! It would be hers before she knew it!

And even if she didn't win, she would be able to spend her time on the island with her best friends!

She wouldn't have to be stressed about Adrien or Luka or Chat Noir!

It was going to be absolute paradise!

Nothing could possibly ruin this trip for her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think Nino's wish is?


	11. Day Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrienette luncheon!

“Alright students, we’ll stop there for lunch break. Be sure you’re back in your classes on time.” Mme. Bustier told them. 

“Ready to go babe?” Nino turned to Alya.

“Yeah totally.” 

“Have I told you how beautiful you look today?” Nino complimented. 

“Why thank you. Mari helped me pick it out.” Alya turned to Marinette.

“Yeah, we went shopping last Saturday.” She replied.

“We have to do that again sometime.” Adrien said, packing his books away.

“You were there too?” Nino asked.

“Yeah, I snuck out.” He looked at Nino sheepishly.

It was an expression Marinette saw on him far too often. It seemed like he was always expected to be judged and if he messed up, then it was curtains. She guessed it was because of his father. She wasn’t sure how he had acted before his wife went missing, but she hoped for Adrien’s sake that he was a lot better of a parent.

“Wow, what a rebel.” 

“Gotta make up for my years of obedience somehow.” Adrien winked. 

“Dude. Are you okay?” Nino asked as the four of them walked out of the classroom.

“Fine, Nino. Just fine.” Marinette frowned, concerned. 

Was he really fine?

They hadn’t really gotten to talk just the two of them this week, they had both been very busy and Marinette had been purposely avoiding his messages. Only responding when it was necessary. She didn’t want to hurt him, but yesterday’s lunch had done more for her heart than she wanted to admit. Turns out, what she originally thought had been weakness to his charm due to her lack of sleep, it was really just weakness to him.

Which meant that her ping-pong heart was sailing through the air again, back onto Adrien’s side. She needed to do anything in her power to get it back onto Luka’s side. If she had to steal a page out of Chat Noir’s book to do so, then so be it. She wasn’t being cruel or anything, she was just trying to avoid one-on-one time with him. Plus, she wasn’t sure if the stutter would come back during her one-on-one time with him. 

It had been easy enough on Saturday. She had been chanting that Alya had been by them the entire time and once she got used to his presence, she got used to speaking with him. Her stutter had really come a long way. It was cringing to look back on the memories of her barely forming a coherent sentence. If it weren’t for Alya and Nino starting to date, Marinette wasn’t sure if her and Adrien would’ve ever become friends. She might’ve just been stuck self-sabotaging herself over and over and over again. 

“You ready to go?” The boy who currently was running around through her head, broke her thoughts.

“Go where?” Marinette asked, looking up at him.

“To lunch? Only if you want of course, but we haven’t really hung out just the two of us in such a long time.” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.

Marinette blinked. 

He wanted to go to lunch? With her? Was she dreaming? It felt like she was dreaming. 

“Sorry, it was a dumb idea, you’re probably really busy with your designs again.” Adrien turned to go.

_ ‘Marinette he’s leaving!’ _ Her mind screamed at her. 

“No wait! We can head to lunch.” She told him, trying to calm her racing heart.

_ ‘What happened to trying to avoid one-on-one time’?  _ She thought, annoyed with herself. 

Adrien turned back and looked at her, his grin lighting up her face.

_ ‘That happened.’ _ She answered her own private question.

“Great! It’s just you’ve been so busy recently. We’ve barely talked all week.” He said, his voice lacking any accusation. 

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.” She said trying hard to keep her words straight. She was able to talk just fine with Nino and Alya right? Why should Adrien be any different?

_ ‘Because you still have the crush of the century on him despite everything you do to ruin your guys’ relationship and him liking someone else.’ _ Her mind said. 

_ ‘Shut up brain.’ _ She thought back.

“So, what do you feel like eating?” Adrien asked. 

_ ‘Okay deep breath, just form your mouth to make words that will make him fall in love- NO! That will make him understand you.’ _

Oh she totally wasn’t ready for this. She shrugged.

“Whenever, I mean whoever,” Her face twisted up. Great, her stutter was coming back. “I mean! Wherever.” 

_ ‘Good Lord, Marinette I thought we were through with this.’  _ She thought.

She honestly couldn’t help it. When there was no one else and around and he was looking at her so sweetly like he always did, she couldn’t help but get lost in his presence and spurt out whatever nonsense while her brain stopped working. The nerves of wanting him to like her, whether as friends or something else, didn’t help any bit.

“Well, there was this one place that I wanted to take you. It's nearby too!” 

There was a place he wanted to take her? Like her specifically? 

He saw a place and thought that he should take her there, just the two of them?

It sounded like a date!

_ ‘It’s not Marinette and you know it. Remember what he told you? You guys are in the same situation! How would you feel if another boy came on the scene and confessed? He doesn’t need another love interest! He has plenty, but he needs another good friend. One who doesn’t let their feelings get in the way.’ _

“Marinette?” Adrien looked at her. She shook her head, clearing all thoughts but one.

_ ‘Just friends.’ _

“That’s fine.” Yes! Two words with no stutter! 

“Great! I think you’d really enjoy it. I’m not so sure about the food there because I’ve never been there before.” He said.

_ ‘I think you’d really enjoy it.’ _ Rang in her ears. 

He thought about her!

_ ‘Just like he thought about Nino and Alya and Alix and-.’  _ Her mind reminded her. 

She tried to focus on saying short and easy words. Things that weren’t hard to mess up.

“It’s fine.” Good. Another sentence with no stutter.

“Okay. So, how’s designing going? That’s what you were so busy with right?” Adrien asked her as they started to walk where Adrien was leading them.

She grinned, the thought of her designs distracting her from the thought of Adrien and the fact he was walking close enough to hold his hand. Mostly.

“Yeah it was! On Sunday I got the idea of doing a line based off of akumatized villains.” She explained. Adrien’s jaw dropped.

“No way! Oh my gosh Marinette, that’s amazing!” He said, grinning broadly. 

“Y-you really think so?” She said, blushing, the thought of who she was talking to entered her mind again. 

“I know so! Hey, do you think I can commission you some of the designs?” He asked her. 

“Yeah! Sure! Which ones would you like?” Marinette asked, running through the line and wondering which ones would look best with Adrien.

“Um, well I’m not sure. Which ones are you planning on recreating?” Adrien asked. 

“Well, hopefully I can eventually design all of them, but I have to get permission from the victim first before I do anything. I already have the permission of everyone in the class sans Chloe and Lila.” She had sent the message out Tuesday, trying to distract herself from the fact that Kagami and Adrien were hanging out. She had spotted them from her balcony and had immediately rushed into a flurry of designs trying to not think about it. 

“I don’t remember getting that message.” Adrien said.

“Have you been akumatized?” Marinette asked. She knew that the answer was no, out of all the akuma’s she fought, she would definitely remember Adrien’s. 

“Well, no.”

“Then why would I send you a message?” She said smiling.

“Touche, Mari, touche. Oh look! We’re here!” Marinette took in the red, black, and lime green themed storefront.

“Adrien…” She said slowly. “What is this place?” She was momentarily worried that Adrien had taken her to a Ladybug and Chat Noir themed place.

“Come on!” He grabbed her hand as he rushed into the restaurant, causing her pulse to start beating irregularly. 

“O-okay.” She said, absentmindedly. 

“A table for two please!” Adrien asked the person at the front as Marinette looked up from her hands to see…. UMS characters?

It was then that she heard the tell-tale sound effects of the game. 

“Do you like it?” Adrien asked as she looked around in wonder.

“Do I like it?” Marinette asked, flabbergasted. “Do I  _ like _ it? Adrien, I love it!” 

“Oh I’m so relieved. I was worried that you wouldn’t like it for some reason.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I absolutely love UMS!” She said excitedly. 

“Yeah, I don’t know, irrational worry I guess. I don’t really hang out with you as much as Alya and Nino and-.” He cut himself off. Part of her (her rational thought that knew if he continued that she wouldn’t be speaking in complete sentences for the rest of the luncheon, video games or not) was relieved, the other part (her heart that was still madly in love with him, despite her denial) was disappointed. 

“I’m sorry. We’ll have to hang out more.” She forced the words out. It was worth watching his face light up. 

“Yeah, we definitely will.” 

“Maybe on the trip?” She’d at least have people there and the competition to distract her from him.

“Definitely. I’ll have to treat you to a personal tour.” He told her, smiling.

Her heart pounded at the thought of Adrien giving her a personal tour. 

“Y-yes.” She said, a dopey smile coming over her face. Adrien smiled and they followed the waitress back to their table.

She could do this. She could totally do this! 

“So, your parents allowed you to go?” Adrien asked once they were seated across from each other.

“Oh! Did I not tell you?” Adrien shook his head. She had been late again today, so she hadn't really gotten the opportunity to share the news with her friends.

“Yeah, they gave me my permission. They won’t be allowed to chaperon though, the bakery keeps them way too busy.” 

“Yeah, I’m sure they are.” Was it just her or did he sound annoyed? “Sorry,” he apologized, catching her expression of confusion. “It’s just, don’t you find this just a little bit confusing?”

“What do you mean?” Marinette asked.

“Can I trust you with another secret?” Adrien asked her. 

Her heart fumbled. He trusted her! Aw, he was so sweet! 

_ ‘Be quiet, lovesick heart. He needs you as a friend right now, you know that.’  _

“Sure.” She answered, surprisingly smoothly.

“Well, my father isn’t the nicest person, as I’m sure you know.” Marinette nodded. 

“I’m more than aware. I’m sorry about that.” Adrien shrugged. 

“It is what it is.” He told her. “Anyway, while I wouldn’t go so far to call my father selfish, it’s very rare that he does things out of the good of his heart.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Marinette felt sympathetic. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like having a parent like that.

_ ‘See? That’s why you need to just be his friend! He needs someone to confide in and he’s chosen you! So, be the friend that he deserves.’ _ She thought.

“There’s nothing I can do about it, it’s better not to dwell. Anyway, most people in our class had parents or family who are very, very, important. Gabriel Agreste likes getting on the good side of very important people.” Adrien told her. She could hear the silent implications behind his words.

“So, you think he’s doing this because he wants to make connections?”

“I’m nearly sure of it. He wouldn’t risk my safety if it wasn’t something incredibly important for the brand like that.” Adrien said, rolling his eyes.

“So, it’s confirmed that you are going?”

“Well, not quite yet. I haven’t seen him all week. I bet he’s busy because he’s focusing on this trip.” Marinette tried to hide her flinch. He really hadn’t seen his father in that long? What could he be up to? Even her parents have more time for her than that, and they run the most famous bakery in Paris! 

Summoning her courage, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it softly. 

“Again, I’m sorry.” Adrien squeezed her hand back.

“It’s alright, good friends like you make it a lot more bearable. Without you I don’t know what I’d do.” 

Did he really have to say ‘you’ like that? Like she meant that much to him? 

Oh boy was her heart in trouble. 

“Thank you.” She said quietly, blushing. 

“You’re welcome Marinette. Anyway, on to a more happier subject.” Adrien opened up his menu, not letting go of her hand, and looked at her. “What do you want to eat?” 

“I’m not sure. “ She opened up her menu as well, not letting her hand slip from his grip.

He probably was touched starved and if he felt comfortable enough to lay such easy affection on her, then who was she to complain?

She chuckled a bit when she realized that all of the meals were gaming puns.

Chat would like this place.

Oh, Chat. She’d have to tell him about where she was going, wouldn’t she? Hopefully, she’d actually get the opportunity to tell him before next Wednesday, but if he kept ignoring her then it wasn’t likely. 

Oh well, she could always leave a message on his phone.

Adrien suddenly snorted. 

“What?” Marinette asked. 

“Console Yourself Sundae.” Adrien said, reading off of the dessert menu. “That’s genius.”

“You like puns?” Marinette asked, storing this information away in her brain.

“Do I like puns? I like to consider myself a punning master.” Adrien grinned at her.

“A punning master eh? I don’t believe it.” She smirked. Adrien let out a theatrical gasp.

“You don’t believe in my abilities! Why Mari! I thought that we were friends?” He said. She rolled her eyes, smiling.

“We are, you big dork.”

Huh, odd. That was something she would’ve told Chat Noir, well, back when they were still speaking with each other. 

“I’ll have to show you my abilities aren’t a false claim sometime.” He told her. Marinette raised her eyebrow.

“What do you mean? Why can’t you do it right now?” She asked.

“Well, it’s quite simple, Mari. Puns are circumstantial, they are at their absolute best when no one is expecting it. That purrfect opportunity when you land the joke.” Mari deadpanned at his smug expression.

“Was that a cat pun that I just heard?” She asked.

“What are mew not a fan?” Marinette tried to block the memories of Chat making similar jokes from her mind.

_ ‘For once, focus on Adrien!’ _ Her mind told her.  _ ‘It’ll be better than getting depressed about your partner.’  _

She breathed in a shaky breath, listening to her brain for once and focusing on the boy in front of her.

“I thought that you said puns are circumstantial.” 

“Cat puns are always the excepurrtion.”

“Minus two points, Agreste. You already used purr.” He pouted. 

“Well, what other word would you want me to use? Cat-ception?” Marinette scrunched up her nose.

“How about just quitting the puns all together?”

“Hmm, let me think about that.” Adrien tapped his chin. “Nah, I’m never gonna give up the cat puns.” Marinette just shook her head and smiled.

“Okay Agreste. Fine then.” She looked around for a waiter. She was a bit surprised no one had come to take their drink order, yet.

“You ready to order? According to the website, we’ve gotta press this button and the waiter will come, kinda like a video game!” Adrien pointed to the ‘start’ button.

“Yeah sure!"

“And after that, if we still had time, what do you say about playing some rounds of UMS 3? I’ve been practicing, you know.” Marinette smirked.

“I say game on.” 


	12. Day Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A talk with the father and an akuma attack.

“Adrien, your father would like to speak to you before you head to school.” Nathalie said in her monotone voice.

“Oh, okay.” Adrien stood up from his desk. “Did he say what it was about?” He asked, even though he had a good idea about what it was.

“It’s about this competition that he has announced. Now, come along, he’s waiting in the dining room.” Nathalie said.

“Okay.” Adrien said and headed to the dining room.

“Hello Adrien.” His father greeted him as Adrien took the seat across from him. Now they only had ten feet of table in between them.

Adrien always hated the table. It was filled and was totally unnecessary. There was only one time that Adrien could remember that the entire table was filled with people he wanted to talk to and that was last Christmas. Once again Marinette had come to his rescue.

“Hello Father, you wanted to speak with me?”

“Why yes, I did. I apologize that I haven’t been able to speak to you about this until now, but I’m afraid I’m a very busy man.” Adrien blinked. His father was apologizing? That was odd, he never apologized for being busy until now.

“It’s alright, Father, really. Running a huge corporation must be challenging.” Adrien said.

“It is, but I’ve still managed to plan this competition. I hope you understand the secrecy behind it, I couldn’t risk it getting out to your class too early.”

 _‘Well, you never tell me anything anyway.’_ Adrien thought.

“It’s fine.”

“Seeing as I’m the one who’s running this whole thing it would look quite odd if you weren’t there. So, I’m expecting your wholehearted participation. You are not only representing you and I, but the entire Agreste brand as well.” Gabriel said.

Adrien smiled.

He was going to get to go! Up to two months hanging out with his friends with no responsibilities but competition sounded like paradise. It would be amazing to get to go to the island his family used to frequent. It had been only a little over a year since his mother disappeared, but so much had changed.

“I understand.”

“Do you have any questions about this competition?” Gabriel asked. That was a shock, was he actually trying to be a good parent? Weird, something really good must have happened if he was acting this kind to Adrien.

“Um, well, what are the challenges going to be like?” Adrien asked.

“I can’t tell you that son, that would give you an unfair advantage against the others, now wouldn’t it?” Gabriel told him, not looking up from the tablet in his hands.

“I guess so.” Adrien bit his lip, wondering if he dared ask the question that had been on his mind ever since the announcement. “Why are you opening up the island again?” He asked before he could stop himself.

Gabriel looked up from his tablet, surprised.

“Excuse me?” He asked.

“W-well, it’s just that,” Adrien twisted his ring, a nervous habit to remind himself that he wasn’t alone. “You said we’d never go back when Mom…” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

“I see. Well, let’s just say I had a change of heart.”

“A-a change of heart?” Gabriel nodded.

“Yes, the island was the best choice to hold this competition, I certainly couldn't hold it here in Paris.”

“Why not?” Adrien asked. Now that his father was actually conversing with him, he was gonna try his absolute hardest to get his answers.

“Well, you see son, I’m a very influential person and if people knew that I was giving the opportunity of a lifetime to whoever won the competition people could possibly sabotage it. That’s a risk I can’t make. Not to mention akumas.” Gabriel explained.

Oh right, akumas. Adrien wanted to facepalm. How could he have been so stupid to forget about his duties as Chat Noir?

Sure, there were the space powers, but what if that wasn’t fast enough? Going by private jet the trip to the island took seven hours. That was way too long of travel time for him to make it back in time and he was sure Ladybug wasn’t going to let him borrow the horse miraculous for two months. 

Of course, Plagg hadn’t pointed out this very obvious flaw in his wanting to go on this vacation. He was probably excited to be able to try whatever cheeses Gabriel would bring along with him and didn’t feel like it was important to mention that if he left Paris, Ladybug would be working on her own.

Although she could always count on the secondary heroes, but Heroes Day had proved sometimes that even with the secondary heroes, Ladybug needed him as Chat Noir. Desperada proved that too. 

Which meant that he would have to talk to her about this on patrol next time they saw each other. When was the next patrol anyway? They had one last night, but he had been antisocial as ever with her, despite her saying that she needed to talk to him about something. It was probably a lecture about how inappropriate he had been acting. He knew he probably deserved it too, but he didn’t have an option at this point.

“Right of course.”

“I wouldn’t want you in any danger, Adrien.”

Unless, if Adrien convinced his father that he shouldn’t go, then he wouldn’t have to contact Ladybug and he’d still be around to fight akumas!

“Well, wouldn’t this island be dangerous?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “I mean there’s plenty of poisonous plants and dangerous animals inhabiting the island, I’m sure.”

“I’m sure that I’ve raised you well enough for you to know not to pick any berries off of plants and stay away from animals that could do you harm.” 

“Well, what if my classmates get unruly.”

“Then they are the problem, not the island, and you shouldn’t be hanging out with them.”

“What about my fencing practice and basketball and my other extracurriculars?” Adrien asked, thinking he had his father cornered. Gabriel just waved his hand off.

“I’ll have people come with us to the island so you may continue your activities if you’re that worried.” Adrien sighed, there really wasn’t a way out of this, was there?

“I understand Father, thank you.” He said, looking down at his lap.

“One last thing son, you are not expected to win this competition.” Adrien snapped his head up.

“What? I thought you wanted me to strive for perfection?” He said in shock. Gabriel pursed his lips.

“That is still your expectation, you must do your best, but you do not have to win this Adrien.”

“Okay. So you want me to try my best, but you don't want me to win?”

“That is correct.”

 _‘But that makes no sense! Why is he acting so weird? He seems a lot nicer today, and a lot less protective, too.’_ Adrien thought.

“Alright then, I’ll keep that in mind,” Gabriel nodded.

“Good, I am glad. Now, I’m afraid I must be going now. Nathalie is waiting to take you to a photo shoot.”

And that was the end of that.

Well, Adrien supposed there were worse things he could leave Paris for. At least he would be able to spend time with the ones he cared about. Plus, winning the prize would be really nice too.

He already knew what he was going to ask for. For his father to spend more time with him. Be less of an employer and more of an actual parent. All he needed to do was summon enough courage to ask him about it. He had two months to grow a spine, hopefully he would be able to channel his inner Chat Noir.

He wondered what the competitions would be like, if they would be fashion centered or knowledge based or miscellaneous.

He hoped it wasn’t fashion based. He would have no chance of winning if it was. Marinette would probably be the winner if that was the case. He hoped that she would be one of the winners anyway. His father had said there would be two winners, one boy and one girl. Although, he was sure she’d get an internship even without the help of winning.

It had been a ton of fun hanging out with her yesterday. Her stutter always seemed to go away whenever she was talking about something she was passionate about or when they hung out in groups. He was glad that they were becoming even better friends and that he was finally seeing the side of Marinette he had first seen from afar.

With every new conversation he had with her, he started to like her more and more. She really was such an important friend to him.

He couldn’t wait to hang out with her more on the island. It was going to be amazing!

The car suddenly screeched to a halt, throwing Adrien forward.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

“There’s an akuma, you need to get out of here to safety. Go with him.” She nodded to his bodyguard. The Gorilla nodded and got out of the car to go and get Adrien.

“Wait, where are we going?” Adrien asked as the Gorilla pulled him along. He didn’t answer. Adrien looked behind him to see a bright green blast coming straight for-.

“Look out!” Something, or rather, someone pushed him out of the way. Adrien tumbled onto the concrete floor and looked up to see that the Gorilla had been turned into a lime green statue that seemed to be… dripping? Gross.

“Are you okay?” The voice that belonged to the person that pushed him out of the way asked. Adrien looked over to see Ladybug.

“I’m fine.” He said, trying not to stare in awe.

She looked so beautiful standing there. Her face was flushed, probably from fighting the akuma, her hair whistling in the wind, her eyes sparkling.

Oh, this was not good for his health!

“I’ve gotta get you somewhere safe.” She said, stretching out her hand to him. “Let’s go.”

Adrien took a deep breath in, he could do this. This wasn’t the first time Ladybug had saved Adrien, after all.

 _‘You can’t be standoffish, she might connect the dots. Heh, connect the dots.’_ He thought.

“Yeah okay.” He took her hand and she lifted him up. One arm slid around his waist and he tried hard not to think about it.

Her arm was right there! Holding him so close he could smell her perfume! Oh this was absolutely terrible for his moving on status.

 _‘Think about your ice cream date with Kagami.’_ He thought. _‘Focus on that. Focus on her not-.’_

“Okay and we’re off! Don’t worry I won’t hide you some place small again, I promise.” Ladybug gave him a soft smile as she whisked them off.

 _‘The absolute angel that has graced you with her presence. No! Stop it! Remember how disappointed Kagami was when you didn’t kiss her Tuesday? Do you really want to see that expression on her face again? You’re nearly stringing her along and leading her on! You need to move on ASAP!’_ He told himself.

Ladybug swept him into a bridal style carry and his heart just about died and went to Heaven.

“Chat Noir where are you?” Ladybug muttered. Adrien fought down the urge to say.

‘In your arms, where I belong M’lady.’

Yeah, she’d kill him afterwards.

On second thought, her killing him would mean he wouldn’t have to deal with a disloyal heart anymore.

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon.” He told her. Ladybug looked down and smiled at him.

“I certainly hope so. I can’t do this without him.” While the sentiment was sweet, it only made Adrien inwardly cringe.

 _‘You’re going to have to, for two whole months.’_ He thought.

“I hope he’s not doing anything stupid.” Ladybug muttered. “He better not die on me again.”

“I’m sorry.” Adrien said, feeling guilty.

“What are you sorry for?” She glanced down at him.

 _‘So much, so, so much.’_ He thought.

“Just sympathetic.” He said instead.

“Well, thank you for your concern. It means a lot to me.”

She really shouldn’t say things like that, not if she doesn’t want to give him hope. Sometimes, when he was talking to her as Adrien she seemed a lot more bashful then when she talked to Chat Noir. It had fueled a stupid fantasy that he had for months that it was Adrien Agreste how had stolen her heart and that he knew her somehow.

It was dumb, he knew that, but it had kept his crush burning for such a long time and her saying things that made him feel like she was singling him out certainly didn’t help.

“Uh well, anything for the hero of Paris.” He said, giving her his model smile.

“I’m not the only hero.” She said. “Chat and I are a team, even if he decides to not talk to me.” The last part was muttered under her breath and Adrien was sure that he wasn’t supposed to hear it, but he did anyway.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized again.

“Oh, did you hear that?” Ladybug gave him a sheepish look as she put him down somewhere. He nodded. Ladybug sighed. “It sucks, I really miss him.”

 _‘I miss you too.’_ There was a lump in his throat.

“I just wish he would talk to me. We could figure something out!” 

_‘I’d just fall for you even harder.’_ He knew that he would. This conversation alone was enough to prove that. He felt more in love with her than ever.

Oh, was he a mess.

A _boom_ resonated in the background. Ladybug looked back.

“Well, I guess I should probably go and take care of that, huh?” Ladybug said.

“Yeah it would probably be best for Paris if you did.” She laughed, a sound he hadn’t heard in so, so, long. It made his heart hurt.

He missed her, he missed this. It was so easy to talk to her as Adrien and it was even easier to talk to her as Chat Noir.

“Thanks Adrien. I’ll see you around.” She waved to him and then left. He put his face in his hand and groaned.

“Well, was I right or was I right?” Plagg told him.

“You were right. I really miss her.” Adrien said.

“Called it!”

“Look, Plagg we’ve got to talk about this trip. There’s no way for me to get back to Paris in time and Ladybug needs me!” Plagg gave him a look.

“Kid your space powers will get you back here fast enough, I promise. They go a lot faster than your private jet. It’ll be fine.” Plagg waved him off.

Adrien felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

“Really?”

“I promise you kid. It’ll be great! And think about it, you’ll have two months away from Paris and away from Ladybug.”

“I’ll still have to come back during attacks.” Adrien said.

“True, but you won’t have her face following you on advertisements and whatnot. Use this time to get over her so when the two months end, you can work to repair your friendship!” Plagg said. 

Adrien smiled.

“You’re right Plagg. Spending some time away from Paris could be exactly what the doctor ordered and it will cure me of my lovesick heart!”

Between spending time with Marinette and competing in competitions to try and get his father to act like a father, there would hardly be anytime to dwell on his love life.

This trip was going to be perfect. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not me avoiding writing action because I can't.


	13. Day Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talks with family and friends!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who else is going on this trip?

"Kagami! There is something I must speak to you about." Tomoe's voice rang throughout the hallway. Kagami put her book down and walked out of her room, headed towards where her mother was.

"Yes mother?"

"Sit down." Kagami sat.

"I have been altered by Gabriel Agreste that he has invited you to a personal competition he is hosting. Have you heard anything about this?" Tomoe asked. Kagami's mouth opened in surprise.

"No Mother." She answered.

"Apparently both Adrien and that Marinette girl are going, I am surprised that they haven't contacted you about it."

"It's tricky for us to have contact with one another. " Kagami tried very hard to keep her voice even. _'Because you don't let me.'_ She thought to herself. Tuesday had managed to work out because Tomoe had dragged Kagami to another fancy event and she had managed to catch Adrien at a photo shoot when she left for a "bathroom break."

"I see. Well, it doesn't really matter about that because I'm telling you now." Tomoe said. "Gabriel Agreste has invited you to a competition he is hosting."

Kagami perked up. A competition? That would be incredibly fun! Or at least it would get her mind off of her non-existent relationship with Adrien. She could tell that he was at least trying, which she was incredibly grateful for, but it still hurt knowing that he was so close to accepting her, but never did.

"Did he mention what this competition's prize was?" Kagami asked.

"He told me that whoever won the competition would be allowed to ask for something and he would do everything he could to make it happen." Kagami's mind whirled with possibilities.

Perhaps she'd ask for more freedom for herself and Adrien. Maybe a trip to Japan with Adrien and Marinette, yes that would be wonderful.

"I understand Mother, but what about the competitions themselves?" Kagami asked.

"According to the video he sent me, you will have competitions every Wednesday, he didn't say anything about the type of competition, however." Kagami nodded, filing the information.

Hopefully, the competition times wouldn't conflict too much with her schedule. Fencing class luckily wasn't a problem, they met on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, school was always something to consider, although it was nearly the end of the year.

"Now Kagami, the reason why I'm hesitant to let you partake in this competition," Tomoe started to say and Kagami felt her heart sink. Of course her mother wouldn't allow her to do this. She had only let Kagami participate in Friendship Day after she snuck away. This competition would most likely take up lots of Kagami's time. Time that her mother thought could be better spent elsewhere. "Is because the competition will be hosted on his private island, and can take from a week to two months, depending on when you get eliminated."

Kagami had to refrain from dropping her jaw. Now she wanted to go on this trip even more! She could picture it now, her and Adrien exploring the island together, training together. Him _finally_ confessing to her as they stargaze.

Although, she hoped that Marinette wouldn't be too hurt by the development in her and Adrien's relationship. Even if she had received the other girl's blessing, Kagami knew first hand how painful it was to see your love spending his time with someone else. Marinette was the only other friend she had felt a connection to and she didn't want to lose that, but Adrien was her soulmate. She saw it and so did Marinette. Kagami really did feel lucky to have such an understanding person as a friend. 

"Wow." Was all that Kagami could say. She was certainly lost for words.

"Wow is correct. However, it is my understanding that this competition could be very beneficial to us." Kagami sat up a little straighter.

This was a golden opportunity, one that she could use to help win Gabriel Agreste's blessing to dating his son, a way for her to get closer to said son until he finally asked her out, and a way to connect with Marinette's classmates. Although she had hung out with Marinette's friends before, it still didn't quite feel like she had a place among them. Hopefully, this competition would get rid of that feeling for good. Besides, she hadn't traveled for a competition in forever, it would be amazing to finally leave Paris and go somewhere.

Now she just had to be on her absolute best behavior to prove to her mother that letting her go on this trip was the right thing.

"And," Tomoe continued. "As I have said before, Gabriel is allowing Adrien to partake in this competition. He may be a little more lax than I am, but I have a feeling that if he is in charge, there is no reason to be concerned. Besides, if I trust him enough to allow you to go on this trip, then it could motivate him to bring Adrien with us to Japan." Kagami brightened. That nearly sounded like permission!

"So, I can go on this trip?" She asked excitedly. Tomoe hummed.

"Well, you are ahead in your studies and even if you weren't Gabriel is having tutors come to the island, there will be plenty of chaperones including Gabriel himself, and this would have a very positive look on our partnership. I will allow it." She concluded.

"Thank you Mother!" Kagami smiled. "May I be excused now? I would like to get a little extra practice in today considering the recent events." Tomoe nodded.

"As long as you give me updates on your location every half an hour." Kagami wanted to rush out of there before her mother changed her mind about giving Kagami a little extra freedom.

"Thank you again."

"Kagami." She called before said girl was able to leave the room. "Remember, we always strive for perfection." Kagami turned back to face her mother.

"Of course." She replied before hurrying to her room and grabbing her fencing gear. Hopefully there would be at least one competition that had to deal with agility. She would have that one in the bag, but of course there was always room for improvement. Kagami was sure that the competition would give her plenty of time to improve on her skills both her social and physical ones.

Kagami headed to the gardens that were by her house, not wanting to waste any time on the journey. Although she did stop to look at some of the flowers, red roses were always her favorite. 

They always reminded her of Adrien and the first time they had ever gone out on date. The memory of him bashfully asking her if she'd like to join him always brought a smile to her face. Yet here they were, months later, stuck with just going on dates. Or were they hang outs? Kagami really thought that he was ready for a relationship, but apparently he wasn't.

She didn't blame him for it, however. Kagami knew that oftentimes, you have to take it slow, but she also knew that they were meant to be. They could empathize with being famous, they shared many of the same passions, they both had interest in Japan. Granted hers was due to her heritage and his was because of his obsession with anime. Still, they were very similar and people with similar personalities always seem to click. 

"Kagami?" A voice broke her out of her thoughts. She turned to see none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng, holding her sketchbook.

"Oh, hello Marinette." Kagami greeted the girl, looking away from the roses. "What are you up to?" She asked. Marinette held up her sketchbook.

"Getting some designing done, I actually wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Kagami raised an eyebrow. She wondered if this had something to do with the competition, or maybe Adrien.

"Would it be okay with you if I created a design based off of your akumatized selves?" Marinette asked in one breath.

Well, whatever Kagami had expected, it certainly wasn't that. She blinked.

"Sure, I guess." She had felt ashamed at first when she had gotten akumatized, but as she became more and more accustomed to Paris she realized that it seemed to be a common occurrence. She didn't feel amazing about it, but after seeing the coverage of Mr. Pigeon's 50th akumatization, her guilt and shame had shrunk down to a mild embarrassment.

"Oh, thank you!" Marinette wrapped her arms around the other girl. Kagami froze for a second until she loosened up and hugged Marinette back in a way that hopefully, wasn't uncomfortable. She was still getting used to such casual affection. 

"So, what's up?" Marinette asked her. "Any particular reason why you're out with fencing gear?" Kagami gave her a wry smile.

"Isn't there only one obvious explanation? I want to get some practice in before this competition." Marinette smiled bashfully.

"Yeah, I guess that makes the most sense. What competition is it?" Kagami gave the girl a confused look.

Did she not realize that Kagami was coming with her?

"The same one you're going to be partaking in." She answered. "In case any of the competitions are fencing themed I want to make sure I'm in top condition." Marinette looked taken-aback.

"You got an invite too?" Then, it seemed like something clicked in her brain. "That makes a lot of sense actually, considering what Adrien told me."

"What Adrien told you?" Kagami repeated.

"Oh yeah," Marinette gave Kagami a look that seemed almost sheepish. "We hung out on Friday for lunch while Alya and Nino were on a date. He thinks that his father is doing this to make connections." She explained.

"I see." Kagami was not, under any circumstances, going to be that girl. The one who was jealous at the slightest mention of someone else hanging out with her crush. Even if that other girl had a crush on him, Marinette had been nothing but respectful.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"You don't have to be sorry Marinette. You and Adrien are friends, it's okay if you guys hang out, really." Kagami told her. She definitely didn't want to become between Marinette and Adrien's friendship.

She knew how good of a friend Mari was and how much Adrien cared about her. She didn't want to destroy a relationship that has definitely helped Adrien. 

"Thank you Kagami. I saw that you two were hanging out on Tuesday, how did that go?" Kagami pursed her lips at the thought of the almost-kiss they shared.

"Well, not as well as I would've hoped if I'm being honest."

"Do you mind me asking what happened?" Marinette asked gently. Kagami bit her lip, before Tuesday Kagami had suspected that Adrien was being hesitant to date her because he had feelings for Marinette, but now she knew that wasn't the case.

"He explained to me that he was still trying to move on from his old crush." Kagami said, watching Marinette carefully to look for any signs of uncomfort. To her surprise, Marinette smiled.

"Good. I'm glad that he finally told you." Marinette answered. That shocked Kagami even more than the smile.

"He told you?" Marinette nodded.

"Yeah, it was two Friday's ago. I kinda told him I was trying to move on and he told me that he was in the same boat. He doesn't know I'm trying to get over him of course, but..." Marinette trailed off.

"I see." Kagami didn't really know how to respond to that. On one hand, she was glad that Marinette truly wasn't making any moves on Adrien, on the other hand, Adrien seemed to always go to Marinette first. Whenever Kagami thought that she knew something that Adrien had told her confidentially, he had already told Marinette or had come to that conclusion herself. 

"If it's any consolation, he only told me first so he could get advice on how to break the news to you. He obviously cares about you a lot Kagami, I'm sure you two will get together soon." Marinette said.

"Thank you Marinette, I'm sure this is not easy for you." Marinette waved her off.

"I'll be fine. It's not like we were really going anywhere." She shrugged.

"I'm very thankful that we aren't allowing something as trivial as boys affect our friendship." Kagami told her, not really knowing what else to say.

"Me too, Kagami, me too." 

"So, speaking of boys, how is it going with you and Luka?" Kagami asked.

She didn't know Luka, pretty much at all, he was barely an acquaintance. However, it was obvious to her that he cared about Marinette a whole lot. She hoped that they would get together soon, if anyone deserved happiness, it was Marinette. Lord knew that Kagami had heard all about Marinette's different antics with her classmates from Adrien. She hoped that someone would come along and take care of her, like she would take care of everyone.

Marinette groaned.

"To be honest with you, it's going terrible." Kagami raised an eyebrow.

"Do you mind talking about it?" She asked.

"No," Marinette shook her head. "It's just whenever I hang out with Luka I think that I'm so close to moving on and actually making things official between us. Then the next time I see Adrien, whether it's a group or not, my heart is beating for him again! It definitely doesn't help that Luka is just so understanding about everything and it makes me feel so guilty for not dating him faster." Kagami patted Marinette on the back, not really knowing what to say.

She had no idea how to comfort people. She had always been taught to be blunt and speak your mind with no hesitation because that's how her mother did things. However, it was becoming more and more apparent that sometimes it's best to sugar coat.

"I'm sure that you'll be able to make the right decision soon." She told her. Marinette gave her a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Well, there's obviously the right answer. It's Luka, but my stubborn heart can't take a hint." Kagami hummed.

"Well, maybe this competition will help you in some way. It could help clear your mind and all that." 

"I certainly hope so." Marinette muttered under her breath.

"So, I was going to go and train, but now that you are here, I was thinking that maybe we could grab a quick snack?" Kagami asked nervously. Marinette brightened.

"Yeah sure! That sounds amazing. Where were you thinking?" She asked.

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could go to that cafe over there." Kagami pointed to a small place that didn't look all that busy. "It doesn't look that crowded." She remarked.

"Nope! Plus, we can sit outside!" Marinette chirped happily.

"Do you enjoy the summer?" Kagami inquired. Marinette nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh definitely. It's my favorite season. Everything is just so pretty with all the flowers in bloom and whatnot." She told Kagami.

"I'll have to disagree with you, I enjoy fall the most actually."

"Really? Why?" Marinette asked.

"Pumpkin." Kagami answered. "I absolutely adore pumpkin flavored things, but I can rarely find them outside of fall." Marinette hummed.

"Perhaps I can convince Papa to make you some pumpkin cheesecake." Marinette said, looping her arm around the other girls.

"Maybe you can." Kagami smiled.

Companionship was a lovely thing. It kept you warm on a winter's evening and smiling when things looked less than cheerful.

If there was one thing that Kagami was thankful for, it was companionship. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite female fencer!


	14. Day Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A patrol where Ladybug must tell Chat Noir about the trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a day late because I decided to change it from Alyanette fluff to LadyNoir angst. Have fun!

Ladybug nervously twiddled her thumbs as she paced the rooftop. It was yet another patrol night for her and Chat Noir and she really needed to talk to him. They were going to the island in two days! She didn't want to be untruthful with him and make him think that she was still in Paris when she wasn't. She had already tried to get him to talk to her last patrol and he had pretended that he didn't hear her.

"I'll take west, you take east." Ladybug used to be glad that her partner stepped so quietly, it was helpful for sneaking up an akumas. Less helpful when she was the one he snuck up on.

"I'll be gone from Paris for two months." She said loudly, that way if he was on nearby rooftops he would hear her.

"What?" He asked, dropping next to her again.

_'Okay Marinette, you have his undivided attention for the first time in a long while, don't mess this up.'_

"Something in my civilian life came up. I will be able to come back for akuma attacks thanks to the space power ups, however I will be absent from patrols." Chat Noir bit his lip.

"I will be too." He said. Ladybug's eyes widened.

"What? Why?" She asked.

"Work thing. I'll be gone anywhere from a week to several months." He fidgeted with his hands.

"Alright, well how are we going to handle patrols? I don't think we'll be able to fly back over twice a week without people becoming suspicious."

"I'm sure law enforcement can handle it. They handled it perfectly fine before we showed up." He told her, his voice almost devoid of emotion. It was such a stark contrast from the time Marinette got mixed up in an attack.

She pursed her lips at the lack of cat pun.

"Alight if you say so." He turned to leave, but something nagged her.

"Chat, if I hadn't brought this up, would you have told me you'd also be gone?" She asked, her brows furrowed.

"You want the truth, Ladybug?" He asked.

"Of course."

"You're protective about identities, if I came back for akuma attacks you would've never known a difference." Ladybug's mouth fell open.

"Never, never known a difference?" She repeated indignant. "What about patrols? You were just, what, planning on disappearing?" A lump rose in her throat. First conversation they had in weeks and they were arguing.

Great.

"Yeah. You're capable of handling the whole city along with law enforcement. Besides, we both know we only started going on these 'patrols' because you wouldn't give me any time to be with you outside of akuma attacks. You still needed to do something for Paris if we were going to spend time together." He glared at her.

The only time he had ever glared at her like that was after she rejected him. It still hurt. Just like the words did, even if they were the truth.

"Because god forbid you hang out with me just to hang out with me."

"Chat," Ladybug reached for him.

"It hurt, LB, it really did." He gave her a grin that looked more like a grimace.

"I'm sorry." She looked down at her feet.

They had started patrolling towards the beginning of their partnership, while he couldn't go five minutes without flirting with her and she had found it annoying. It was before what a kind heart lied below that mask. Before she loved the nicknames he gave her and expected the lines. Before he had become her best friend.

She owed a lot of that to patrols. If it wasn't for those late-night rooftop talks that happened after Glaciator (because she had never really made an effort to know him before then) she wasn't sure if they would've become as close as they had.

Sure, she had always cared about him, but it was similar to the care an older sister would have to the annoying younger cousin. She was always upset whenever someone would hurt him, but of course she would. He was her partner and she was fond of him, even if he annoyed her to pieces most of the time.

Then, he showed real vulnerability to her, not as Ladybug, but as Marinette, when Glaciator attacked. She started to realize that maybe Chat Noir wasn't an incorrigible flirt that was fun to tease. She started to realize that he was caring, he always made sure akuma victims were okay while she took the spotlight, that he was dorky as much as he was flirty, the amount of anime references he had made in a single night made her wonder if that's where he got his flirting habits from, and that there was something going on with his family. He hid it well, but she saw how sad he got whenever she talked about her family.

"Why is it so hard?" She could hear the cracks in his voice and it hurt.

"Why is what so hard?"She whispered, not looking up in fear that she would see tears that she caused.

"Getting over you." He said. "Why do I have to hurt everyone?" Her head shot up.

There was her partner, his green eyes brimming with tears. There was a frown on his face and a plea in his eyes.

"I-" She wanted to say that she understood, that she was trying to move on too and was failing spectacularly at it, but how could she? That would only hurt him more and give him false hope. She couldn't move on to Chat Noir, those icy blue eyes fresh in her memory whenever she thought 'maybe it wouldn't be so bad', then he started ignoring her.

"I know you're sorry. I just don't understand. Why must I continue to break everyone's heart? Especially since I know you can't ever fall for me." He muttered.

Ladybug wanted nothing more than to run over there and tackle him into a hug. Whispering apologies and trying to give him some comfort. Maybe even tell him the reason why she was so adamant about her feelings, but her feet remained rooted to the ground.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't help my fickle heart I'm afraid. You know, the girl that I'm trying to move on to, she's everything I could want. She's fearless and bold. She takes what she wants and makes her opinions clear."

An image of Kagami popped into Ladybug's head. Her and Chat's girl would get along well. Or they would hate each other. Twins have the makings of best friends or the greatest rivals, after all.

"Plus, she actually likes me and understands my problems."

"Our identities-." She started to say.

"That's your excuse for everything isn't it?" Chat snapped at her. "'Oh our identities have to remain a secret so I can't tell you anything about me!' 'Our identities have to remain a secret so we can't hang out in disguises!' 'Our identities must remain a secret so I can't tell you anything about the temporary heroes.'" He did a poor imitation of her voice. "What would be so wrong about us being honest with each other? What if something happens to either of us? You're the Guardian now! Master Fu knew both our identities and we knew his. What are you afraid of?" His voice rose as he continued to rant.

"I'm afraid of losing you!" Ladybug exclaimed, her own tears starting to form. "I'm afraid of losing you." She repeated, not wanting her voice to go above a whisper.

"Why?" He asked. "Why are you so afraid of-?"

"Because last time you knew you were gone!" She exclaimed, her tears falling.

"What?" He asked. "What are you talking about? I've never known-" His eyebrows were furrowed and his voice lowered to a room-level.

"Because I erased it. The timeline is gone, except for in my dreams." She choked down a sob.

"What timeline?" He asked, his voice hard. It wasn't one that she heard from him very often.

"It was terrible." She whispered and sat down on the rooftop. She couldn't find the strength in her to stand anymore as memory after memory crashed down on her.

She heard a long deep sigh from Chat.

"I really shouldn't be doing this. I'm supposed to be getting over you." He muttered. Ladybug looked up and glared at him.

"Yes, that's another thing we need to discuss."

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture." His voice was as angry as hers.

"Yeah well, I wasn't in the mood for my partner abandoning me when I needed him most but," she chuckled bitterly. "Here we are."

"You didn't need me. You never needed me. I was only good for a body bag." He told her. Ladybug's jaw dropped.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I needed you! I still do! And right when I become the Guardian and suddenly have so many other things on my plate, you quit talking to me? Do you have any idea how that made me feel?"

"I'm sorry I didn't want to be led on forever! With your talk of 'Ladybug isn't half as cool as Chat Noir' and the 'my kitty' and the small little gestures of affection that makes me think that maybe you actually feel something for me!"

"So I'm not allowed to care about you?"

Oh great, they were shouting again.

"If you don't like me, why do you act like you do Ladybug?" He shook his head. "I told you after we fought that senti-Ladybug not to say things like that to me. Yet you do, then I go and put my heart out on the line and you reject me." His voice was back to a normal volume. "When I give you space because I need to work things out you accuse me of abandoning you? I'm there for all the akuma fights, I'm here for patrols. Is my entire personality just flirts and nicknames to you?" He asked, the hurt seeping into his voice.

They were both still crying.

"Of course not, but you're not speaking to me anymore! You're not being your dorky self around me. I miss you. I miss my best friend." Her voice cracked on the word 'friend.' Chat chuckled without humor.

"Best friend, huh? How come I'm your best friend when I barely know anything about you?" He asked.

"Because I can be myself around you without having to worry about cracking under the pressure. I don't have to hold up the image of a being a perfect Ladybug."

"And yet you still can't trust me with things about your life." He said.

"I have! Don't you dare say I haven't when I have!" Her voice was rising again.

"The things I know are either too small to know your identity or too broad. I don't even know your age!"

"I'm-."

"Don't tell me now! I'm supposed to be getting over you Ladybug! It's too little too late." He shook his head.

"Chat, I-."

"I just don't get it. You call me yours, but I'm not. You say I'm your best friend, when you constantly shut me out. It's not like I haven't asked before. Just going to the movies or getting ice cream or just some time together." He took a deep breath. "Yet you still say no."

Ladybug bit her lip. She never realized how double standard she sounded until tonight.

It hurt that he was right too. She never accepted his invitation to hang out outside of patrols unless it was for some other good dead to Paris.

"You used to call me your lady." She whispered.

"M'lady is a term often used to address someone of higher power." He said.

It felt like a slap to the face. She had known that, of course, but she always hoped that he was saying she was his.

And there go the double standards again. Wanting to be his without giving him her heart?

"I didn't want to call you mine until you were." Chat shrugged. "But I'm never going to be able to."

"Chat-."

"No! Just stop. I know you're not doing it on purpose, but God it's just enough. Just enough for me to be hung on by a string! How am I supposed to move on when-?" He couldn't finish it. "So forgive for ignoring you, but you give me no choice Ladybug."

"But I-"

"You give me no choice." He repeated.

"Chat please-."

"You take east, I'll take west. Goodbye, Ladybug."

"Chat, wait!" She turned around but he was already gone. She felt the tears pour over her mask and down her face as she buried her head in her legs.

She hated it. She hated that he was either arguing or ignoring her. She hated that he felt like she was double-standard.

She hated above all that he was right.

Had she led him on?

She just saw the flirts as part of their every-day banter. The fact that it was them against the world soothed her. The fact that she was his and he was hers warmed her up.

Oh.

Yep, she led him on.

She didn't mean too, really! She had just wanted to give him affection and love, the type that he was lacking from home. She could tell by the fact that he was purring just when she hugged him that he was touch-starved.

She knew that she was strict about identities, so she said things like that to make it obvious that she cared about him.

It was no wonder that he had to ignore her to get over her.

How would she feel if Adrien were to call her his? Or to say some of the things she's said to Chat to her?

She'd fall harder than ever, wouldn't she?

Okay, when Chat started talking to her again, she'd tone it down. She would match him because by that point, he'd be over her!

Instead of matching where he was in the past because he was in love with her.

She just hoped it would be soon. She'd start letting him in more too! Maybe even work up to her identity. He was right. She was the Guardian. He needed to know.

Hopefully, when he learned this time he wouldn't get akumatized. She never ever wanted to see Chat Blanc again.

Okay, once he got over her, they could start to repair their partnership. She would learn how to balance friendly affection and romantic one. She had honestly thought nothing was wrong with the way she acted. She was just as affectionate with actions with Chat as she was with Alya. But Alya wasn't in love with her.

Plus, she wasn't sure if she would tell Alya some of the things she would've told Chat Noir.

Add on the rose colored glasses that you get whenever you have a crush, it was no wonder he thought she liked him.

Ladybug stood up and wiped her tears away from her face.

She had a lot to think about and a lot of analyzing to do once she got home.

But, before she did that, she had a patrol to do.

Once again, her superheroine duties had to be placed above her partnership.

She really didn't like being the responsible one sometimes.

The sooner they got rid of Hawkmoth, the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personally, I don't think Ladybug led Chat Noir on on purpose. When you have a crush you tend do view most things they do as romantic, like the rose-colored glasses, ans so Chat Noir saw her affection as romantic. Especially since Adrien isn't really used to friendly attention like that yet because he's sheltered. But, Ladybug's actions can be very easily read as romantic and if she truly had no feelings for him, she wouldn't act that way. The denial is strong with this one.


	15. Day Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Details about the trip!

Was it wrong for Adrien to feel like a weight had been lifted off his back after arguing with Ladybug? Probably. He hated to argue with her, but he needed her to understand what she was doing to him. She needed to understand that sometimes it really seemed like she liked him as more than a friend. Sometimes he got his hopes up because she would be so incredibly sweet to him only for her to reject him at the next possible moment.

His mind was made up. He needed to move on from her.

Out of all his days as Chat Noir he had never been mad at her about her feelings. Had he been upset? Of course he had, rejections sucked. But never mad. He had only gotten mad at her when she had hidden Master Fu from him or about keeping so many secrets. It was never about her lack of feelings.

But their patrol last night really made him rethink things. Made him realize that yeah, he flirted with her a lot, more than he should, but she never really rejected them. Deflected them, sure. She would remind him that 'now was not the time', but that would insinuate that later would be the correct time. She would call him hers and call him her closest companion and then shut him out!

He had asked multiple times to just hang out with her, as friends and in disguises, but the answer was always a big fat 'no'. Then next akuma attack or patrol she would tell him that she missed him and that she saw something that reminded her of him.

What was he supposed to do when she was just as affectionate with him as he was with her? What was he supposed to do when she gave him the sweetest looks and smiles when he motivated her? What was he supposed to do when she acted like she loved him, but told him she wasn't?

He respected her feelings, of course he did. If she didn't like him, then that was okay. But when she told him that he meant the world to her, but then turned around saying they couldn't know anything about the other. It hurt. It hurt terribly. And yeah, he knew some things about her, but those were few and far in between. Too big or too little for him to figure out her identity, but it resulted in him not knowing anything about her! After eight months of partnership, he really thought that she would've budged a bit on identities. He may know her, but he knew nothing about her! It was incredibly frustrating and it made him realize that maybe a romantic relationship wouldn't have worked out between them.

After all, if they had started dating who's to say that she wouldn't have been just as protective? He could handle not knowing anything about his partner, as long as they knew each other's personalities. It was annoying and frustrating, but he could handle not knowing a whole lot about his best friend. Just barely, but he could still handle it. Girlfriend was where he drew his line. What if he knew as much as he did about her, but they were dating? He definitely couldn't handle that.

It was so strange! He had been trying for weeks to move on by ignoring her, but his heart wouldn't let him. After one conversation with her, his head and heart were suddenly in agreement. He would move on, make sure he was completely out of love with her, then ask Kagami out.

His head always knew that loving Ladybug was illogical. She didn't like him back and he was hurting her, him, and Kagami by loving her. His heart didn't listen to that and instead dreamed up scenarios where they would finally get together and be happy. His head would retaliate by giving him a reminder of one of her rejections and his heart would fight back with her being affectionate. Last night his heart had realized that all of his romantic scenarios with her could never be possible, even if she did feel that way about him. That the affections truly were platonic, even if they didn't seem to be. 

Finally his two sides were in agreement. This island trip he would move on to Kagami.

"Gah!" He felt someone bump into them. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" Adrien turned to see Marinette rub her head.

"Marinette! Are you okay?" He asked, holding out his hand to help her stand up.

"A-Adrien! Hi! Yeah I'm fine! Are you okay? Is your beautiful face hurt? Oh no! You need it to model and if you can't model anymore then your father will hate me and I'll never-"

"Marinette!" Adrien grabbed her hand and pulled her up, smiling at her. Her rambling really was cute, even if he couldn't understand her half of the time. "It's okay, nothing is hurt or damaged at all." Marinette breathed out a sigh in relief.

"Okay good, that's good."

"So, are you ready for the trip tomorrow?" Adrien asked as they walked to class.

"Oh yeah totally! My suitcase is packed and I've got an alarm set for early."

"You might need more than just one alarm." He teased.

"Don't I know it." She muttered under her breath. "But hey, I'm not late today! That's an improvement!"

"Definitely. Besides, you probably have a really good chance at winning! It would be a shame if the plane left before you arrived."

"You really think I've got a shot?" She asked him, her bluebell eyes looking up at him.

"Totally! I mean, I don't know anything about the competitions, but you're super talented. I'm sure that no matter what it is, you'll do amazing at it!" He couldn't help but compliment her.

"I-I'm glad you think that." She looked down at her toes, smiling a bit.

"Well, it's an incredibly popular opinion. So many people think that you're great at everything you do, I don't know how you can handle your schedule!"

"Lot's and lot's of planning, and you have a pretty busy schedule of your own!"

"That's all Nathalie's doing. She plans the stuff I just follow it." 

"Well, I still think that it's really admirable that you can handle so many responsibilities, but still keep your grades up and can maintain a social life."

Adrien felt his cheeks heat up. Marinette was so awe-inspiring. She did so much for so many, always putting others first and making sure they were okay. She always had good intentions and made sure to apologize when she made a mistake. The fact that she looked up to him made him absolutely giddy.

"Thank you, Marinette."

"It's not a problem Adrien." He held the door open as they walked into class together.

"Alright students today's class will be a bit different." Mme. Bustier told them as they walked in. "Since we are leaving tomorrow we will be going into some of the more specific details about the flight and the trip itself."

"Mme. Bustier, who's going to be chaperoning?" Alix called out.

"Well I will be chaperoning, M. Agreste and Mme. Sancouer will be there as well. Along with Juleka and Luka's mother and I believe that Mylene's father will be attending as well."

"What about the students that get eliminated early? Who's going to be their sub?" Kim asked.

"Multiple teachers have volunteered to have the extra students that will get out of the competition earlier. However, we only have a week of school left. Which reminds me, I would like for everyone to come up with a studying plan since we will be doing end of the year exams overseas."

Adrien was, for once, glad that he had been homeschooled. He had completely forgotten with everything else going on that finals were happening soon. Luckily, he had been advanced in his studying while homeschooled and already knew pretty much everything that would be on exams. Plus, he could always study on the plane.

"Now, please hold off all other questions until everyone gets here. I don't want them to miss out on any needed information."

Soon the bell had rung and all the students were at their desks. Adrien tapped his foot in anticipation. 

"Alright everyone, luckily all of your parents have agreed to let you come and Juleka's mother and Mylene's father will be joining us as chaperones. If you get out early, M. Damocles will be happy to help you set up your schedule.

"Our plane will depart from the airport at eight am sharp and will get to the island at fifteen hundred. Please meet us here at 7:15 packed and ready to go. We won't wait for you for more than a minute or so and I don't want to leave any of you behind, so get plenty of sleep tonight and set you alarms for early.

"As far as rooms go we will put you in groups of three, all of the same sex. There will be one group of four girls and one group of four boys. you will be expected to stay in your room after curfew. You will get your room assignments tomorrow."

Adrien did a quick mental count in his head. There were fifteen in his class, Kagami would make sixteen. He was certainly surprised when Marinette had messaged him about it on Sunday, but he supposed that it made sense according to his theory about the real reason behind the trip.

"There will be a curfew of eleven, meal times will be at eight, noon, and eighteen accordingly. Other than that, there will be no schedule except for competition days. You will be expected to show up at the time and compete, if not you will be disqualified." 

Adrien quickly took note of the directions. He would obviously be there on time, but maybe he could walk over to the bakery to make sure Marinette would be ready? He really wanted to hang out with her during this trip and he didn't want his chances to be ruined by her lateness.

Besides, he hadn't gotten an update on the boy that she was trying to move on from in so long. He needed to know if she was doing alright. If that guy was continuing to hurt her or not. He honestly had no clue who it was. He had thought she liked Luka, but that wasn't it. Then he had thought she still liked Chat Noir, but the akuma attack a few weeks ago had proved him wrong. Was it someone in their class? Was it someone who came to the bakery a lot? Was it someone who she had met online? Maybe it was a childhood best friend.

Whoever it was was an absolute idiot. Marinette was so kind and brave and honestly adorable. Who wouldn't like her? She was an amazing friend to so many people and even tried giving Chloe and Lila second chances! Did he need to find this guy and slap some sense into him? All he needed was a name and Marinette's permission and he totally would. Nobody would hurt his Princess and get away with it.

Even if that sounded incredibly possessive, he couldn't help it. He always felt protective around Marinette. Whether that was due to akumas or Chloe or Lila. He never ever wanted to see her hurt. Even if he had hurt her before...

He shook his head. She had forgiven him as Chat Noir. It was all water under the bridge. She was so forgiving. He was so incredibly lucky to be friends with her. 

"As stated before there will be a competition every Wednesday. During these competitions you will compete against each other. One boy and one girl will be chosen to leave the island after these competitions with the exception of one week where three people will leave. Two girls and one boy. I am not sure which week this will be as M. Agreste has chosen to keep it anonymous. I would like you all to use the suspense as incentive to do your absolute best."

Adrien hoped that he would make it at least half-way. If the challenges were physically challenging, then he was sure that his time as Chat Noir would help him gain an advantage. If it was anything about fashion, Adrien wouldn't be as far ahead, but he had picked up a few things from working in the industry. If they were things about classic survival, hopefully he would scrape by because of some of the shows he had watched.They may not be totally accurate, but they would at least give him a headway.

It wasn't that he wanted to win against all his friends and watch them be voted off one-by-one, but he definitely wanted to win this.

He could finally get a bit more freedom!

Or perhaps he would ask about what had happened to his mother? He still didn't know much about what had happened to her. Just that her health kept on declining until one day his father told him that his mother was gone. Adrien had at first thought that it meant that she was dead, but when his father spoke about her returning he thought that maybe she had been kidnapped.

But, it had been over a year now and he was losing hope. His mother was probably gone for good by now and as heartbreaking as that was for him, he knew that it was time to move on. To keep her in his heart where she belonged. To make her proud as she smiled down at him. However, he needed some closure before that happened. He needed to know just exactly what his father knew. He had never seen police reports about the case, his father had banned him from it. Plus, Adrien knew that his father was hiding something.

There was that whole ordeal with Felix where his father had admitted to doing something that Adrien didn't know about. Adrien had thought that meant he was dating Nathalie, but that wasn't it.

What could his father possibly be up to?

"You will be provided with basic toiletries and pillows and blankets and food, but you are expected to bring everything else yourself. There will be plenty of things to entertain you on the island, like books, games, and movies, but be sure to bring something for the plane."

Oh right, Adrien should probably pay attention to Mme. Bustier.

"You will get your seat assignments tomorrow with your tickets and unless a health issue comes up, you will be expected to remain in that seat. Even if this is a private plane, we need to be on our best behavior. This is an incredible opportunity M. Agreste has given us and we should all treat him with respect."

Well, that would be no problem for Adrien. He had been treating his father with nothing but respect for a long while.

"Now, are there any questions?" Mme. Bustier finished up.

Adrien only had one question, how could he handle the anticipation of finally having some freedom? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect a longer chapter next update because we will get to see the island!


	16. Day Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that the update is so late! I fell behind because of the holiday specials and haven't caught up yet, hopefully this week I will! Thank you so much for your patience and enjoy the newest chapter of Operation: Trials and Tribulations!

For once, Marinette wasn't late. She had made sure to tell her parents the night before that if she wasn't downstairs five minutes after her alarm went off to go and check on her. If she was sleeping, then do anything they could to get her to wake up.

There was no way she was missing this.

However, the way she had woken up was highly unexpected. Instead of waking up to an alarm or her parents yelling or even water on her face (yes, she was that desperate), she had woken up to someone shaking her. Technically, that wasn't the weird part. The weird part was the fact that the man who had woken her up was none other than Adrien Agreste.

"A-Adrien?" She sputtered.

"Hey Mari. The limo is here to take us to the airport. If that's okay?" He asked nervously.

Marinette just stared gaping like a fish.

"I-if you don't need a ride that's fine, but I wanted to make sure that you were on time..." He trailed off nervously.

Marinette's brain thankfully rebooted and she nodded.

"Yeah! Just give me a second, okay?"

Thank the Lord there was no stuttering in her sentence. Him going out of his way to make sure that she wasn't going to be late was so incredibly sweet, it was a wonder that she was having a coherent thought.

"Okay! I'll wait for you down below." He grabbed her polka-dotted suitcase. "See you down there!"

"See you..." Marinette said, still a bit dazed.

"Well, wasn't that nice of him?" Tikki giggled.

"Yeah." Marinette let out a lovesick sigh before it occurred to her what had just happened. "Tikki! Adrien just stopped by! Saying that he- that he-!"

"I'm well aware." She said with a sly look on her face.

"Oh don't give me that!" Marinette said, blushing harshly. "This is terrible!"

"Why?"

"Because Tikki! How can I start to date Luka when Adrien does things like this? What about Kagami? Shouldn't he be escorting her to the airport? Not me?" She said running around and getting ready.

"Kagami doesn't have problems with being late, Marinette. In all fairness, you do." Marinette sighed.

"Yeah, okay." Tikki flew up and kissed Marinette's cheek.

"Everything will turn out okay, I promise. Now get downstairs! Adrien and the trip of a lifetime is waiting for you!"

"Yeah!" Marinette said, racing out of the room. 

"Ready to go?" Adrien asked her. She nodded, holding up her carry on bag.

"Thanks for waiting."

"It's not a problem! I wanted to make sure the Princess of Late didn't strike again." Adrien winked.

"Oh hardy har." Marinette grumbled.

"Well, it was certainly nice of you to stop by, Adrien." Sabine said, a sly undertone to her voice.

"I approve." Tom winked. Marinette's face flushed. Adrien, however, remained oblivious.

"It's really nothing." Adrien said, "Marinette had helped me with something, so I thought I could return the favor."

"What a wonderful thing to do." Sabine gushed.

"Adrien, how do you feel about owning a bakery one day?" Tom asked excitedly.

"Okay! That's our cue to leave! Come on, Adrien." Marinette, too embarrassed to realize that she had grabbed his hand. 

"W-what? Um, okay! It was nice seeing you again M. Dupain and Mme. Cheng!" Adrien called as he waved them goodbye.

Marinette, however, surged forward. Her cheeks were still warm from the embarrassment her parents had put her through, although she was lucky that Adrien didn't know what owning a bakery implied in her family.

"Whoa, Mari! You can slow down, you know." Adrien's tease snapped her out of her thoughts and she realized that their hands were intertwined.

"Sorry! Oh my gosh!" Marinette let go of his hand like it burned.

"It's alright, don't worry." Adrien said, his cheeks pink.

"Um, shall we head out?" Marinette asked.

"We shall." Adrien loaded up her suitcase in the car's trunk, right next to his and shot her a smile that made her heart leap.

"T-thank you, by the way." Marinette told him, trying her hardest not to stutter.

These past two weeks had brought her a bit closer to Adrien, and luckily, she wasn't as nervous around him anymore. Her traitorous heart still beats faster around him, though.

"For?" He asked as they got into the car. Marinette gestured around them. "Oh." Adrien chuckled. "It's no big deal, you helped me a lot with Kagami, I thought it would only be fair to return the gesture."

"How is that going by the way?" She asked before she could stop herself. It was dumb and she knew that it would most likely hurt her to hear hid answer, but maybe, just maybe his answer would help her in the long run.

"Really good, actually. I'm a lot closer moving on from the other girl, now. I had realized some things a few days ago, about how she treated me. It wasn't the best." He scratched the back of his neck. "She didn't mean to hurt me, but she would always give me hope and then turn around and squash it."

Marinette felt guilt rise up in her, thinking about Chat Noir. She would do whatever she could to make it up to him once she got back. Maybe it was time to loosen up about identity rules, she was Guardian after all.

It had to make her wonder, though. If she had been acting unhealthy towards Chat, how many other relationships in her life did she need to change? How many other people is she hurting? How many other toxic traits does she need to fix?

Nobody was perfect after all, least of all her, but there was always room for improvement. Sometimes someone just needed to nudge her in that direction.

She would have to ask Alya about it later.

"That's good." She responded, giving him a smile that only felt half-fake. It seemed to Marinette that this girl wasn't good for him and Kagami would be. Sure, he was the guy she was crushing on, but above everything else she just wanted to see him happy. If Kagami was the one who made him happy then she would help him with her.

"Yeah. Hopefully, I'll be able to ask Kagami out before the competition ends."

As much as it hurt to see them together, she was thankful that they were finally making it official. Once they did there would be no more of that faint hope in her heart. No more wondering if they will or won't. 

"Well, I'm super happy for you Adrien!"

"Thank you, Marinette. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you helping me out, after all."

"It was nothing really. You're my friend and I would never let a friend down."

"Well, if there's anything I can help you with concerning that boy you're trying to move on from, let me know!"

Marinette blanked as she took in his words and his kind smile.

"Uhhhhh, t-thanks."

"Of course! So, what are you most excited about?" He asked her, excitedly. He was nearly bouncing up and down in his seat and, in Marinette's opinion, it was rather cute. 

The two of them continued to talk as the Gorilla drove them to the airport. Marinette, luckily, didn't stutter a whole lot, which was a definite relief. Talking to Adrien was nice, really nice. Even if he was going to start dating Kagami soon, even if her heart still sped up around him, she truly was grateful for his friendship. 

"You ready?" Adrien asked her as they pulled up.

"For the trip of a lifetime? Hell, yeah!" She cheered and got out of the car, already seeing a few of her classmates there.

"There you are Marinette! You gave us a scare when you didn't show up to the school!" Alya said. Marinette's brows furrowed.

Then her eyes widened comically wide as she remembered the directions from yesterday. She had been so caught up in Adrien and his chivalry that she had completely spaced the fact that they were supposed to meet at the school. Not at the airport!

"A-Adrien?"

"I may or may not have conspired with your parents so you could sleep in?" He gave her a sheepish grin.

"Adrien!" She scolded him.

"I'm sorry, Mari, I thought you could use the extra time to sleep in." He pouted and got her suitcase out of his trunk.

She shook her head. He was too cute for his own good.

"Here, Adrien, I can help you with that." Luka said walking over to where he was.

Marinette blinked. What was Luka doing there? He didn't need to come with them to the airport, even if his mother and sister were going.

"Luka?"

"Hey Marinette! I'm glad to see you made it, I thought the plane was going to take off without you." He said, giving her a sweet smile.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Not that I'm not happy to see you! I totally am! But like I just thought that I would only see your sister and mom."

"No worries, Ma-Ma-Marinette. I got invited along too." He said.

"O-oh." Her heart fluttered at the thought of him and her hanging out on the beach or stargazing.

This would be the absolute perfect opportunity to move on to him too!

If Adrien was moving on, then she should move on also.

"That's great Luka!" He chuckled.

"I think so too. Now come on, I don't want us to be any later than we already are." Luka said, helping her with her bag.

Thank goodness that moving through security had been smooth. Soon, Marinette was seated next to Alya in one of the plush chairs on the airline flying high over the sea.

Marinette had never seen so much blue in her life. It was beautiful, the vast amount of blue sea below her.

"Pretty view, isn't it?" Marinette jumped at the newcomer's voice.

"Adrien? Where did Alya...?" She trailed off as she spotted Alya cozying up to Nino.

"Yeah, they wanted some couple time." Adrien scratched the back of his neck. "So, I thought I could hang out with you!" He said, with a smile on his face.

"O-oh! Yeah! That sounds nice!"

"Once we get on the island, do you want me to show you around?" He asked her.

Marinette's eyes widened.

"O-oh! I mean, if you think we can."

"Well, if I can't show you around today, then I'll definitely show you around tomorrow." Marinette gave him a smile, but it fell off her face as she spotted Kagami looking at them.

She wasn't glaring at them by any means, but the expression on her face wasn't the happiest. It looked a bit dejected.

Marinette gave her a different smile than the one she gave Adrien and waved her over.

"Hello, Marinette." Kagami greeted as she sat down in the seat across from Adrien and Marinette.

"Hey, Kagami, Adrien here was just saying that he wanted to show us around the island tomorrow?"

Part of her mind was screaming at her to stop this, that it would only hurt her, but as she watched Kagami's face perked up she couldn't bring herself to feel bad. She just wanted to see her friends happy and if that meant sacrificing her own, then so be it. Besides, Adrien needed her help if his previous oblivious said anything.

"I was?" Marinette gave him a look.

Jesus, it was no wonder he never caught on to his feelings for her, if he was this oblivious all the time.

"Oh! I was! Yeah, you should totally join Marinette and I for an island tour!"

Marinette resisted the urge to facepalm.

She tried! She really, really, tried to set him and Kagami up with the perfect opportunity to get some alone time together, and yet that had failed.

"That sounds like a lot of fun!" Kagami perked up.

Marinette gave the girl a thankful look. Even if it wasn't alone time, she still seemed to be plenty happy with spending time with them.

"Right? Plus, you two can get the inside scoop of all of my stories and memories." A wistful look appeared in Adrien's eye.

"Sounds great, Adrien." Marinette put her hand on his arm, knowing first hand how rarely he opened up about his home life.

"Shall we invite Nino and Alya as well?" Kagami asked.

"Um, we can!" Adrien said, a smile appearing on his face. "The only thing is that some of the trails I want to take you on works better for small groups."

Marinette hummed, wheels turning in her head as she tried to ignore the fact that it seemed like Adrien would rather hang out with her than Nino.

"What if we did two different tours?" Marinette asked. "One tomorrow with us three, Alya, Nino, and Luka. Then another one with just us three another time, maybe a day that Alya and Nino would rather spend some time to themselves?" Adrien nodded.

"The everyday Ladybug strikes again! That sounds like a perfect plan!" Kagami nodded.

"I agree. I would not want to worry about any of my friends getting hurt because the group was too big."

"Plus, I think you two might appreciate the experience more so than Alya and Nino. I love them, but they're very lovey dovey and..." He trailed off.

"It can sometimes make a person feel very, very, single. Don't worry Adrien, we understand."

"Yes, as sweet as their PDA is it can get a little hurtful when it reminds you of things you can't have." Marinette hummed as Adrien averted his eyes.

The subtle dig didn't go over his head? Maybe he wasn't as oblivious as Marinette thought.

"I can definitely relate to that." Kagami gave him a sympathetic smile.

The elephant in the room was slowly growing with every moment of silence. Talk about an awkward situation. Here she was sitting between her crush that she was attempting to move on from, the girl that he was trying to move on to who reciprocated his feelings, and all of them knew it. Well, Adrien didn't know that she liked him of course, but the other point was there! It made for one hell of an atmosphere.

Just as the silence was getting unbearable, an announcement came on over the plane.

_"Esteemed passengers, we are now starting our descent to the island. Please make sure that you are all in your seats, buckled, and all trays and large electronics are put away. I repeat we are now starting our descent to the island. Thank you."_

The announcement system clicked off and Marinette eagerly looked out of her window, hoping to see a bit of light after the sun had set. 

“I don’t think you can see it quite yet, but soon.” Adrien said, noticing what she was doing.

“Oh I know, but it’s still a ton of fun!” He chuckled.

“Believe me, I know. When I was little I would make sure I was looking out the window as soon as the signal to put on our seat belts back on beeped.” Marinette giggled, imagined a little Adrien mimicking what she was doing. 

“That is quite amusing.” Kagami said, grinning just a tiny bit. 

Marinette gasped as the island came into view, lightening up with floodlights. It had a large hill in the middle, covered in green. In fact, the whole island was covered in green except for the tan strip that circled the forest. 

"I see it!" She said excitedly. Adrien chuckled.

"I can't wait to get down there." He said.

"This vacation is going to be a once in a lifetime experience." Kagami commented, looking just as excited as her seatmates.

After what felt like the slowest ten minutes in Marinette's life, the small plane finally landed down on the island. Marinette stood up and grabbed her bags, then went with the crowd and headed down the stairs of the jet.

Carved into the hill were multiple white buildings, the biggest one being twice as large as her house and the smallest being the size of a toolshed.

Palm trees and other vegetation were spread throughout the beach and island, only broken from where tiki torches framed stone paths.

And in front of it all stood Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancouer. Nathalie with her stereotypical tablet in her hands and Gabriel with his hands collapsed behind his back. Both of them stood tall as they surveyed the crowd.

After the plane was emptied, he and Nathalie exchanged looks.

And then he did something quite strange, Gabriel Agreste, a man with a reputation of being emotionless, _smiled_ at them.

"Competitors and chaperones, may I be the first to welcome you to my island. Best of luck to you all." Marinette must have been more jet-lagged than she thought because she could've sworn that for a split moment she saw Gabriel's smile turn into something much more sinister.

"Let the games begin!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrigaminette superiority.


	17. Day Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first official breakfast on this island!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So warning y'all now: This book is long and has a lot of filler. However, this filler will help towards character development and budding romances. Plus it'll be pretty fluffy most of the times and show off some great friendships between the main six! Major plot days will be competition days along with some chapters towards the end. If you don't like horrendous slow burns and long books, this isn't for you.   
> Sooo disclaimer out of the way, enjoy!

The excitement in the room created an electric tension as Nino, Luka, and Adrien walked into the main dining area.

They might have landed at fifteen hundred CEST, but the sun had already set by the time they had landed. Thank goodness for floodlights or else Adrien wasn’t sure how the pilot could’ve landed. Because of the time difference, Nathalie had suggested that everyone went to bed to try and adjust to the new schedule and that introductions would happen in the morning.

She had only shown them where the dining room was the night prior. Every other area on the island was still a mystery to many.

“Oh hey look, there are the girls.” Nino nodded to where Alya, Marinette, and Kagami sat.

Or at least, where Alya and Kagami sat. Marinette was sprawled out on the table, her eyes shut. Luka chuckled, probably at the sight.

Adrien didn’t blame him, Marinette was rather cute, after all.

“Good morning.” Adrien called as he headed over towards where the three of them were.

“Good morning Adrien, Nino, Luka.” Kagami said, nodding at each of them.

“Morning!” Nino said happily, sliding in the booth next to Alya.

Adrien decided to pull out the chair next to Kagami and sat down, opposite of Nino. Luka took the last chair and leaned over to shake Marinette softly.

“Mmm Ti…..” She said sleepily.

“Marinette, it’s time to get up.” Luka said gently.

“I don’t wanna.” She muttered.

“But don’t you wanna win the competition?” Alya asked, her eyebrows raised.

“Competi….?” Marinette trailed off as she peeked an eyebrow open, then hissed at the sun. “How are none of you guys tired?”

“I’m used to traveling.” Adrien shrugged. “There’s certain techniques I use that can help.”

“My sleep schedule is just so messed up, I didn’t really feel it.” Alya said grinning. Luka looked a bit horrified.

“That is both terrifying and fascinating.” He shook his head. “I don’t even want to know how you accomplished that?”

“It’s called the Ladyblog. It’s ruined my life in the best way possible.” Alya said, winking.

“I’m concerned.” Nino muttered.

“Oh hush, it’s not like your sleep schedule is any better.” Nino grinned.

“You got me there, babe!”

“Good morning, contestants.” Nathalie said, walking into the dining room.

Greetings rang out through the air.

“I hope that you found your way here easily, this morning.” She pulled out a tablet that Adrien knew contained a schedule.

“As you all know, meal times will be at eight, twelve, and eighteen hundred. You are expected to get here promptly, and we will give you several options to choose from. However, it’s first come, first serve, so if you have certain preferences, get here quickly.

“If you get hungry throughout the day, you have several options.” Nathalie continued. “The first option is to go to the snack bar we have set up on the beach. If you want something a bit more than that, Kitchen 2 will be available for any who would like to use it. We just ask that you clean up after yourself.”

“There are two kitchens?” Marinette whispered. Adrien nodded.

“Yep! Kitchen one is more industrial, kitchen two is, like, one you’d find in a house.”

“So I can still do baking?” Marinette asked excitedly. Adrien nodded.

“I don’t see why not.”

“Sweet!” She cheered.

“Around the island you will find many areas to train or relax. There’s a pool, in addition to the beach, a movie room, a recreational room, an art room, and archery range, different hiking trails, and much, much more.” Nathalie explained.

“Just follow the signs along the path and you should be able to find the proper building quickly. There are also signs on the buildings themselves.

“If you decide to go hiking,” Nathalie looked around the room, “We ask that you either take Adrien, or an adult with you.”

“How come Adrien gets the clear?” Kim complained.

“Because I know these trails, Kim.” Adrien shot back, rolling his eyes before sheepishly looking at Nathalie. 

It didn’t look like she would report his disrespect to his father, but one could only hope. Nathalie often was one of few emotions.

“We would not want any of you to get hurt, but in case that any of you get an injury, we do have a nurses office. However, if you injure yourself enough that you can’t compete, then you will be immediately disqualified.” Nathalie’s gaze drifted to Kim. “So I do advise that you’re careful.”

He gulped.

“Now, curfew is at eleven and I’m sure your chaperones won’t hesitate checking in on you. We have allowed you the luxury of having the adults sleep in a different room than you all. Please don’t let us take this privilege away.

“Now, are there any questions?” Nathalie asked, looking around as everyone took in the information.

Adrien was already thinking up areas that he could show Mari, Kagami, Alya, Nino, and Luka. There were a few hidden gems that he could show them, and then there were certain areas that he would keep in mind for showing fewer people.

Like Kagami for instance! Plus Marinette, too.

“When’s the first competition?” Alix asked.

“Next Wednesday. Sometime during breakfast you will receive the time and the place you are expected to head to. If you don’t show up on time to the competition, you will be disqualified. Anything else?”

“Are there any off limit areas to the island?” Mme. Bustier asked.

“Everyone should use their better judgement. All of our buildings are open to you with the exception of Gabriel’s office and the adult dorms. Every trail is open as well and you can stray off the paths. However, if that’s the case make sure you’re able to bring something with you to mark where you’re going. We don’t want to be responsible for anyone getting lost, but if someone does go missing, we will have teams ready to search.” Nathalie answered.

“Now if that is all, enjoy your breakfast. I wish you all the best of luck.” She gave the room one of her rare smiles and then walked out.

Quickly, the kitchen staff that Adrien recognized headed into the room. They went from table to table taking orders.

“Hello, M. Agreste and friends. What can I get for you today?” One of the waiters asked.

“What are our options?” Kagami asked.

“Today you have a choice between a breakfast quiche or an assortment of pastries.”

“P-pastries? Really? I’m allowed to break my diet?” Adrien asked in disbelief.

“I believe so, yes. M. Agreste, er, the older M. Agreste seems to think that you’ll be able to walk it off.”

“Sweet! I’m totally going with the pastries then!”

The rest of the orders were taken and soon, everyone was chatting in between taking bites of delicious food.

“Now, this is no Dupain-Cheng pastry, but it’s pretty dang good if I do say so myself.” Luka said. Adrien nodded in agreement.

“Oh, you flatter me.” Marinette said, a light flush on her face. It was most likely from Luka’s comment. 

“These are done by private chefs!” Marinette said, taking a bite of her pastry. “It’s delicious!”

“I’ll have to tell the chef that the daughter of the best bakers in Paris approves of his pastries.” Adrien chuckled. “I’m sure he’ll be honored.”

“Oh, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Girl, you’re, like, half-famous! It’s a pretty big deal.”

“Considering that we’re all half-famous, I don’t think it is.” Marinette shot back. Adrien let out an exaggerated gasp.

“Only half famous? Oh how you wound me, Marinette!” He placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Uhhh,” She flushed. Was she getting overheated for some reason?

“Oh, you poor baby.” Kagami said, shaking her head.

“My pride may never recover.” Marinette quickly shook her head, hopefully she wasn’t feeling as bad anymore, and then turned to him.

“Maybe that’s what I was going for.” She said with a wink.

Wow, that was something. His heart jumped into his throat. Progress! They were making more progress!

“But why would you hurt me like this?” Adrien said, pouting.

“Because it’s fun.” She said cheekily.

“Hmph.” Adrien crossed his arms, but his face quickly regained his smile. “So, after breakfast what do you say about an island tour?”

“Hell yeah!” Alya cheered.

“Sounds great, man.” Nino said, his face full of quiche. Everyone else quickly agreed.

“Great!” Adrien said, beaming. “Because there’s already so many places that I want to show you guys! I’ve found quite a few hidden gems over the years and I would love to show them all to you.”

“Sounds like a blast.” Marinette said, finishing up her pastries.

“Yeah, I hope that it is.”

“We’re on a tropical vacation!” Alya smiled. “How could it not be?”

“Don’t answer that.” Nino said, narrowing his eyes as Adrien opened his mouth.

“Not answering!”

Adrien was bouncing in his seat for the rest of breakfast. Soon, everyone was finished and cleaned up.

“You guys ready to head out?” He asked. They all nodded.

“So, Monsieur Tour Guide, what do you have in mind for us first?” Marinette asked.

“Well, I have certain locations that I’ve picked out for each of you that I think you all will really enjoy. I was just thinking about going from closest to farthest?” Adrien asked. The group nodded. “Great! To the amphitheater we go!”

Adrien led them through the winding paths of the forest, making sure they all had solid footing. Just because the path was stone, didn’t mean it wasn’t steep. They were still walking through a jungle after all.

“What is this place?” Luka asked, looking around the area.

“It’s the amphitheater!”

Stone benches surrounded the main part of the area, facing a raised platform. Luka spun in a circle, taking it all in.

“Wow.” He said.

“I know right? I’m not exactly sure why this was built, seeing as most times only three of us were here, but now I’m glad!”

“Will you play us something Luka?” Marinette asked excitedly.

“Maybe.” He leaned down and whispered something in her ear that made her giggle and blush.

“Be quiet!” She hissed.

“Fine, fine. Only for you Ma-Ma-Marinette.”

“Do I want to know?” Alya asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll fill you in later.” Marinette waved it off.

“Anyway,” Adrien cleared his throat, suddenly feeling awkward. “I thought that this would be a great place for you to come and practice music.” Luka nodded.

“Yeah Adrien, this is great.” He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “The song that this part of the island is playing, it’s tranquil. This is a great spot for inspiration, really!”

“Well, I’m glad that I was able to inspire you, but I have one condition!” Adrien said.

“Yes?”

“You have to give us a concert.” He said.

“Done. Let’s just hope none of us get eliminated before then.”

“Do you really have such little faith in us, Luka?” Alya asked, pouting.

“I’m not going to answer that.” He said.

“Anyway, moving on, Nino’s yours should be right around here.”

It wasn’t long before Adrien found the designated place.

The building was a white stone with a tan roof, and was a bit smaller than others. Adrien opened up the door and Nino let out a gasp.

“No way! How?”

“I remember spotting this place yesterday, when I was heading from the beach to the dorms. I thought you would like it.” Adrien chuckled.

“Wait, so does that mean that you lead us on a longer path on purpose this morning?” Nino accused.

“Oops.” Adrien said, without a hint of regret in his voice.

“The gall!”

“I think this makes up for it, though.” Adrien gestured around the room, which was filled with all sorts of DJ equipment. 

From computers to a drum machine, Nino sped around like a maniac. Adrien was glad to see that he had made his best friend so happy. Nino looked totally in his element here, after all.

Although, Adrien tried not to give into the nagging that something was off. He was so sure that this had been a storage shed last he came, but whatever, Nino looked like a kid in a candy store! Perhaps his father got this room decked out for Nino?

Maybe to keep up appearances or something like that. Adrien wouldn’t put it past him.

“Thanks Adrien! I’m definitely spending a ton of time here.” Adrien grinned.

He could set his worries aside after all. He had made Nino happy, and that was all that mattered. As long as the room caused joy, who cared how it got there?

“I’m expecting a mix type, just so you’re aware.” He winked.

“You got it dude!”

“Anyway, Kagami, you’re next one the list!” She looked surprised.

“Me? Really?” Adrien nodded.

“Yep! Come on!” He grabbed her hand and led her out of the room.

“Me? Really?” Adrien nodded.

“Yep! Come on!” He grabbed her hand and led her out of the room.

He was a bit proud of himself for being the one who initiated contact. Besides, his hand in hers felt really nice. It was comforting, knowing that she was there with him.

“So, what is this place you want to show me?” She asked.

“You’ll see.”

“Adrien, you can’t just tell me?” She whined. He chuckled.

“Nope!”

“Boo, I hate surprises.”

“Note to self: Don’t plan a surprise party for Kagami. Got it.” He winked.

“You’re such a dork.” He grinned.

“You know it!”

Ha! Look at him! Moving on from Ladybug and starting to gain even stronger feelings for Kagami! Any day now he would ask her out and everything would be puppies and sunshine and rainbows and-!

Kagami gasped from beside him and he smirked a bit to himself. He knew that she would love it.

A wide open area stood in front of them. Human dummies were set up around the course and the best part? The best part was the fencing gear, sitting right by the entrance.

“I used to train here.” Adrien explained. “I know it’s not as good as the real thing or anything, but I thought that you would still really enjoy it and so…” He trailed off, nervous.

“It’s perfect.” Kagami reassured him, looking around. “The dummies will help to set up the atmosphere of a real duel, even if they can’t move themselves. Thank you, Adrien.” She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, which was a pleasant surprise.

“Y-you’re welcome.”

“And I think that the perfect way to show my gratitude is to challenge you!” Adrien nodded, smiling.

“You’re on! But, not right now! We’ve got places to see. Alya, you’re next.”

“Sweet!” She cheered.

He led them deeper inside of the island.

“Now Alya, you have to understand. My father is a very rich and powerful man. Because of his influence he has been able to gain certain things that others can’t. I’m trusting you for this information to not get out to the public, okay?”

“If it’s that serious, should we even be here?” Marinette asked. Adrien shrugged.

“He didn’t say it was off limits and it’s not exactly illegal. Just not something that most people won’t have.” He pushed open the door and showed them inside of the room.

There was only a desk and a radio, nothing too special, but Adrien knew that looks could be deceiving.

“This radio will allow you to listen into ACT transmissions.” He explained.

“No way, really?” Alya’s eyes gleamed.

“Yep!”

“Whoa.”

“I thought that maybe you would enjoy listening into the radio. I’ve picked up some pretty interesting things over the years.”

“Yeah! This is great! You know how much I love listening in on things!” She teased.

“Oh believe me, I’m well aware.” Marinette grumbled.

“You love it and you know it.” Alya shot back.

“Do I, though? Do I really?”

“Yes, yes you do. Anyway, Adrien. This will be a lot of fun.”

“I just remembered that one time that you said you would want to work with airplanes if blogging didn't work out.” Alya nodded.

“Yeah I mean, I adore journalism, don’t get me wrong. But being a pilot I would still be able to travel the world and have you seen the hours they have to work? If you get lucky enough, you have really good hours.”

“Yeah, I thought this would be a nice fit.”

“It is! Thank you.”

“Yep! Alright, Marinette, you ready?”

“Me? It’s my turn?”

“Yep! Unless you don’t want one…”

“No, no, no! I definitely don’t. I mean, do! I do want a turn!” Adrien laughed.

“No worries, I was only teasing after all.”

“Haha, right.” She gave him an awkward smile that still managed to look cute on her.

Luka was very, very, lucky.

“If you would follow me, Mademoiselle, I will lead you to a place where all your dreams come true!” Marinette snorted.

“Of course, Monsieur.”

They ended up in front of a building that on the outside, looked no different than all the others, but Adrien knew better than that. Marinette’s eyes widened as she read the sign on the door.

“No way.” She whispered. “Wasn’t this place off limits?”

“My father’s office is off limits. He didn’t say anything about the fashion storage.” Adrien opened up the room and flicked on the light.

Marinette’s jaw dropped to the floor as she took in the racks of fabric sitting on shelves that were bolted to the wall. There were also several mannequins and sewing machines.

“Feel free to use anything in this room for your designs.” Adrien told her.

“B-but Adrien!”

“No buts! If you, for some dumb reason, get in trouble, I’ll just take the heat for it, okay?” He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. “I promise.”

“I can’t ask you to do that!”

“Well then, it’s a good thing you’re not asking, isn’t it?” Adrien winked at her. “You’re incredibly talented, Marinette. If there’s anything I can do to help you use that talent, I’ll do it.”

“T-thanks.” She stuttered out, her face a bright red.

God, she was adorable! How did whoever she liked not see that?

He’d have to talk some serious talk with them. If he ever found out who they were, that is. However, until that day came, Adrien was content to just be on the receiving side of one of Marinette’s smiles.

“You’re welcome, Marinette.”

“Alright you two,” Alya cut in and the two of them suddenly jumped back.

Adrien wasn’t exactly sure why he was feeling embarrassed. Or why he was a bit annoyed at Alya for interrupting the moment between him and Marinette.

“To the beach?’ Alya suggested.

Everyone’s face broke out into matching grins.

“To the beach!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter today! Any theories about the plan Gabriel has?


	18. Day Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luka heads to the amphitheater to practice, but someone distracts him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Entering stage right is.... Lukagami content!!!

Luka walked leisurely from the main dining room to the amphitheater. He took in the sight of birds fluttering from tree to tree. He had only been on the island for a few days, but he was already feeling the effects of the atmosphere.

The yawn he let out startled the birds around him.

And the effects of jet lag apparently.

No one was at the amphitheater when he arrived, which he was thankful for. He was a bit shy when it came to writing his newer songs. He really wanted to get this certain song done as fast as he could.

Maybe then he could show Marinette the song and well, even if he was a year or so older he couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be her boyfriend. It was the dreamer in him that made him think of the hypotheticals. Of the what ifs.

He hoped that now that Adrien was going to start dating Kagami, maybe Marinette would feel a bit more motivated to move on as well. She had said that she was trying and that was all he could ask of her. He cared about her too much to force her into something that she didn’t want. He would never want to make her uncomfortable.

But still, he wouldn’t give up hope. He would be patient and wait for her and if she was never his, then he would be happy for her. He just wanted for her to be happy, preferably with him.

He pulled out his guitar and music notebook.

It was time to get to work.

This place was calming, peaceful, the island was so full of life. From the birds to the plants to the people. Luka closed his eyes and breathed it all in. There really was something special about this place.

Luka smiled, taking in the love this island held. Love was all around him, whether it was platonic, romantic, or a family love. His hands found the perfect chord and started to strum. The beginning of the song went well. He could feel the love surrounding the island, the serenity, the fact that lives could change because of the competition.

Then, he frowned. There was something a bit off about that last point. Yes, lives could change here and most of the atmosphere was hopeful, but…

Luka was picking up a bit of a sinister undertone.

That was odd.

He opened his eyes, no longer soothed by the island's tone. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to shake it off, but it didn’t work.

Then, his ears picked up the sound of footsteps. He looked over to the path to see Kagami walking. Her swords on her back implied that she was heading to the area that Adrien had shown her yesterday.

Luka didn’t know Kagami that well, they hadn’t exactly hung out one-on-one before, but he supposed it would be wise to get to know her. Maybe one day they could go on double dates with Marinette and Adrien.

“Hey Kagami!” He called out to her. The girl looked up to him and waved, a bit awkwardly.

It was to be expected, he supposed. If her upbringing was anything like Adrien’s, then it was only natural that she was socially awkward.

“Heading to go and practice?” He asked her, smiling. She nodded. “Would you like some company? I could give you some background music?” He offered, holding up his guitar.

She seemed to mull it over for a second.

“Alright, but if it slows me down…” She let the sentence dangle. Luka laughed.

“Warning noted.” He stood up and grabbed his guitar.

They walked along the path in silence. Luka couldn’t tell if it was comfortable or not.

“So, how often do you practice?” He asked her, trying to think up a way to start a conversation.

“I try to practice daily, but sometimes I miss practice.”

“Oh, well that’s okay. It happens sometimes.”

“I guess.” She shrugged.

“I mean, from what Adrien and Marinette have told me, you seem incredibly talented.” He gave her a smile. Her face, however, remained neutral.

“Well, there will always be someone better than me. There will always be another opponent.”

“I like to look to those people for inspiration. Take Jagged Stone for example. I’m a huge fan of his and his music is the reason I started to play guitar. Can I play better than him? Absolutely not. But can I see his music and think ‘I want to play like that one day’? Yes, yes I can.”

“Well, in fencing there’s a winner and a loser. It’s not exactly a team sport. Everyone you meet you have to look at like they’re only trying to beat you.” Luka frowned.

“I don’t think I would be very good at fencing then. I prefer it when we can all get together and sing Kumbaya around the campfire.” The corners of Kagami’s mouth twitched.

That was a victory in Luka’s eyes. Maybe one of these days, he would actually get her to laugh.

“You definitely seem like that type. I’m much more competitive, so fencing suits me well.”

“Is it something that you enjoy?” He asked. Luka knew that sometimes, even if you were fantastic at it and practiced every day, you were forced into something that you didn’t want.

“Yes. Although I wish that sometimes I could make friends a little easier, I do enjoy the satisfaction of a victory.” Luka smiled. 

He could tell that Kagami was being semi-truthful. It was obvious that she did like fencing, and it was something that she wanted to do. But she wasn’t telling the whole truth. He could sense that she was more frustrated with her social skills than she let on.

“I could help you with that.” He said.

“With what?”

“Making friends. If you wanted, that is.” He offered.

Anarka often told him that he had a gift for helping people. He wouldn’t let it go to waste.

“Oh, I, um, sure?” She accepted hesitantly. She gave him a smile that looked far too forced for his liking, so he gave her a genuine one, hoping to calm her nerves.

“Great! Just let me know when you need some advice, and I’ll try my best to help you. I can’t promise it’ll be good advice, but I’ve gained the reputation of ‘group therapist’ over the years.”

“Thank you, Luka.” Kagami smiled.

“Of course!” They continued to walk, the silence no longer awkward.

“Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about. I guess you’re in a similar situation with Marinette that I’m in with Adrien?” Kagami asked.

Luka’s eyes went wide. Did Adrien not like Kagami? He supposed that would explain why they weren’t dating, yet.

“I thought you two liked each other.” He said, trying to sound gentle and not astonished.

“I thought so, too.” She shrugged. “It turns out that he likes someone else.” She let out a long sigh.

“Really?” Luka asked. He didn’t think Adrien was the type of person to lead someone on knowingly.

“I mean, he likes me too. He’s not saying that he would like to date me and then turning around and flirting with someone else. He’s trying to move on, like Marinette is.” She explained.

Luka nodded. That sounded more like the Adrien he knew.

“I’m sorry. I know that it hurts to hear.”

“Well, in a way I’m glad that he’s waiting. If we started dating and then it turned out he didn’t love me, it would hurt so much more.”

“I get that.” Luka nodded. “At least this way, you would know that their heart was yours.”

“Yes, it’ll be worth the wait, anyway.”

“I feel the same way when it comes to Marinette. Does it bum me out a little bit that I have to wait until she’s sure? Of course. But do I know that these few months of waiting will all be worth it when I’m able to call her mine? Of course I do.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you and Marinette will make a lovely couple.”

“You and Adrien, too. You’re so alike.”

“That’s what I said.” Kagami smiled, a real one this time, and Luka felt blessed.

Kagami didn’t seem like the type of girl who handed out smiles all the time, so the fact that he got one meant a lot.

“Well, it seems that we’ve arrived, so what type of music would you like?”

“Music?”

“Yeah! For your epic battle against the dummies!” He said, pulling out his guitar and sitting down on the ground.

“Is it really comfortable to sit like that?” Kagami asked with a raised eyebrow. Luka flashed her a grin.

“But of course. 10/10 would recommend.” She shook her head, but he could tell that she was smiling. “So…? Any recommendations Mademoiselle?” He asked.

“Just, something to keep me focused.” Luka hummed, then brightened as an idea came to him.

“I know! Try and keep up with the rhythm I play, okay?”

“Um, alright.” Luka waited until Kagami got into what he assumed was her starting pose.

He then started to play a simple 4/4 melody, without going too fast. Like he had suspected, she was able to keep up easily. He smirked to himself as he sped up. Kagami looked surprised for a split second, but kept her footing. Then, he sped up even more, a grin over taking his face.

He really did love to play. The feeling of creating music as it filled the air around him, with only Kagami’s footsteps joining him. It was incomparable. The solace and joy he got from seeing the grin on Kagami’s face made up for his fingers that would no doubt be sore in the morning. He loved to spread joy with his music.

That was why he had worked so hard. That’s why he made sure he practiced every day. He wanted to inspire people, just like Jagged Stone had inspired him. He could still remember the day that he had first heard Jagged’s music. That was the day he had truly fallen head over heels for music. It was no longer playing because his mom wanted him too, it was him playing because he desired it.

Luka wondered if Kagami had ever had an epiphany like that. The moment when you realize ‘this is what I want to do with my life’ is truly outstanding. Luka hoped that everyone experienced it at least once in their life.

Soon before he knew it, Kagami couldn’t quite keep up with his rhythm and he stopped playing.

“Wow.” She breathed.

“Great job! That was really impressive, I can see why you’re such a great fencer. You have very fancy footwork.”

“Thank you, Luka. I wasn’t sure if your exercise would be beneficial, but that was the fastest I’ve gone through my routine, yet.”

“A new record then? That’s great!”

“Yes, well, I wouldn’t mind if we could try this again sometime?” Kagami asked.

“Yeah sure, I don’t see why not. Just come and find me next time you want to practice.”

“I will, but would you mind playing something else for me?” Kagami asked.

“Yeah, sure. What’s your request?”

“Could you maybe do some rock? Well, as much rock as you can with an acoustic guitar?” Luka perked right up.

“Of course! Rock is, like, my specialty.” Kagami nodded.

“Well, fast past music helps me keep up with a fast pace I’ve found.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely useful when I’m doing my homework.”

“However, I wouldn’t suggest telling my mother that. She would prefer me to listen to more classical. I have nothing against classical, but it can sometimes bore me.”

“Especially when you’re trying to keep up with work and there’s a soft piano piece playing in the background.” He nodded.

“I know it can work for some people, but I’m not those people.” Kagami said, grabbing her fencing gear yet again.

“Neither am I, trust me.” His fingers found the chord he wanted to play as a certain song came to mind. “Ready when you are.” He said, nodding to her.

She nodded back and got into her position.

Without waiting any longer, Luka started to play, watching her footwork. It really was something as she stepped in a careful pattern. It looked like a dance to him. A dance between opponents fighting for the title of winner. It was very fascinating.

“Thank you, Luka.” Kagami told him as they finished up.

“For what?”

“For helping me with my practice. It is because of your music that I was able to be even more successful today.”

“I’m glad.” Luka told her as warmth filled his heart. He loved to help people, to help them be the best version of themselves, to help encourage them and pick them up when life gets rough.

“Hopefully, we can do this again soon. Maybe your exercise will become a part of my warm-up routine.”

“I could maybe record something for you? Then you could play it when you’re warming up.”

“Yes, that would work. Thank you, Luka. I can see why you’ve caught Marinette’s eye.” Luka flushed.

“It’s nothing really. Anything to help out a friend.”

“We’re… friends?” Kagami asked, disbelief and awe in her voice.

“Of course!”

“Well, I am very thankful to have your friendship.” She said.

“Me too.” He told her as they left the area.

They walked in a silence that Luka was happy to define as comfortable. He was able to make a new friend today, and he considered that a success. People like Kagami needed more friends in their life. Friends who didn’t expect the same thing as their parents did. Friends who they could be themselves around without fear of judgement. Luka was thankful he was one of those people in Kagami’s life.

“Hey, are you a bit hungry?” Kagami asked suddenly.

“What?”

“Are you hungry?” She asked again. “Fencing works up an appetite.”

“I could go for a snack.”

“Great! Would you rather make a snack or go down to the beach and get one?”

“Well, maybe we could head back to our rooms to grab our swimsuits, then we could head down to the beach?” Luka suggested.

He had learned yesterday that the waters were very warm and swimming sounded very nice right now. They were on an island, after all. They should take advantage of it while they can. One of them could be leaving Wednesday.

“Sounds great. We can grab a snack and then swim.”

“Yep! The beaches are super nice here.”

“Have you been to beaches a whole lot?” Kagami asked. Luka shook his head.

“No, definitely not. I don’t leave Paris all that often, really, but I know quality when I see it.”

“Then, I’ll meet you down there?” Luka blinked as he realized they were already at the turn off for the girls and boys rooms.

“Oh, yeah sure!”

Had time really passed that fast?

“Great! See you soon, Luka.” She waved and headed towards her dorm.

“See you soon, Kagami.” He headed towards his own dorm that he shared with Adrien and Nino.

He whistled as he walked the path, in a cheerful mood. Kagami seemed like a very fun girl to hang out with, once you got through her outer shell.

And Luka was determined to do just that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time writing in Luka's perspective! 
> 
> So.... how we feeling after those teasers? Did anyone else notice the lack of posters in Mari's room?


	19. Day Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette, Adrien, Kagami, and Luka start plotting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this went in a different direction than expected.... I'm committed now.

Kagami waved to Adrien and Luka as she walked into the dining hall.

"Good morning."

"Morning! Where's Alya and Mari?" Adrien asked, looking around.

"Marinette was still getting ready when I left and Alya isn't in our room." Kagami answered, sitting down across from Luka.

"Oh? Who's your roommate then?"

"That Alix girl."

"We got lucky. Luka, Nino, and I share a room." Adrien said.

"I believe Alya told us she was in a room with Sabrina and Juleka."

"Yeesh, that means Chloe and Lila share a room." Adrien grimaced. "Poor Rose." He muttered.

Kagami narrowed her eyes.

Lila. She remembered her. That scheming vixen was someone who Adrien had complained about on multiple occasions, then somehow she had managed to get into the mansion and kiss Adrien on the cheek. It would've been one thing if it was consensual, Kagami may love Adrien, but she wanted him to be happy above all else, however in the case of Lila, Adrien was obviously uncomfortable with her.

Plus the fact that she seemed to have gotten away with it all! Well, by the time Kagami had pieced together what had happened, Lila had made an enemy. One that remained even after she was de-akumatized.

"Oh, so that's the Lila Marinette was telling me about." Luka let out a long sigh. "She said that Lila manipulated all of her friends into doing everything for her by making empty promises? And that when Marinette had tried to stand up to her, she had gotten threatened?"

"What?" Adrien cried. "She didn't tell me about that! Lila threatened her? I mean, I know that she was more scheming than I had thought when she got into the mansion and got Marinette expelled."

"She got Marinette expelled?" Kagami asked in a harsh whisper.

She felt something rise up in her as she glanced towards where the liar was. How dare she? Not only did she make Adrien uncomfortable, but she hurt Marinette. She had hurt both of her friends. That was just unforgivable.

"Yeah, but then I made a deal with her to get Marinette back in school. It's not important." Adrien waved it off.

 _'God.'_ Kagami thought. _'He's so incredibly kind. He cares so much about everything. We truly are perfect for each other.'_

"But Lila had threatened her? When was this!"

"Like the first day she got back from her supposed trip to Achu?"

"What!" Adrien cried.

Kagami looked around to make sure no one had heard Adrien's outcry.

"Yep. That's what Marinette said anyway."

"But! She never even mentioned anything about that to me! God, I'm such an idiot." Adrien put his face in his hands.

"It's not your fault, Adrien. You cannot blame yourself for someone else's actions." Kagami tried to console him. She hated seeing someone she cared about upset, but she wasn't good with emotions yet.

"You don't get it. The first day Lila was back, after the whole ordeal with Chameleon was over, Marinette was going to go over to try and stop her." Adrien took a deep breath. "And I told her, foolishly, that we shouldn't try to expose her. I thought that it was just small lies to gain attention at that point. You know, when a tabloid lies about you, you don't pay much attention to it and usually the truth gets out.

"I thought it would be the same with Lila." Adrien continued. "Eventually, her lies would catch up with her and everyone would realize what had happened. Then when she wormed her way into my house and got Marinette expelled and I-." He sighed. "By the time I realized she was more than she seemed, it was too late. She had already wormed her way into my father's good book."

Ah, so that's why Mlle. Rossi received no consequences. Still, was Gabriel really that absent from his son's life that he didn't notice when someone made him uncomfortable? Well, if he was anything like her own mother... then she knew the answer was most likely 'yes'.

"If I had only realized sooner..." Adrien's hands curled into fists. "Maybe I could've done some more and worked with Marinette to expose her. Then we wouldn't have had to deal with her."

"Adrien, you didn't know. You did what you thought was best."

"But-!"

"Maybe it wasn't the correct option." Luka continued, ignoring Adrien's protest. "But with your upbringing and your limited information of the situation, you can't blame yourself. I'm sure Marinette doesn't blame you either. After all, you came through where it counted. Marinette's still attending Francois Dupont, isn't she?"

"Well, yes, but-."

"And even if you aren't allowed to go against Lila directly, there's no reason why you can't plan with Marinette to expose her. As long as you stay behind the scenes right? And once the truth gets out, I'm sure you can convince your father that having a liar as his muse isn't a good look for the brand."

"You really think so?" Adrien asked. Luka and Kagami nodded.

"We'll even help you, Adrien." Kagami said. "She made you uncomfortable and threatened Marinette. She deserves to be exposed."

"Yeah! Marinette never deserved that and I know Juleka is being tricked, too. That's something I can't stand for."

"So, we'll try and expose her?" Adrien asked, looking at the two of them.

"Well, first we have to get Marinette on board."

"Get Marinette on board with what?" Said girl pulled up a chair and sat down, her eyebrows raised.

"Mari!" Adrien's face brightened when he saw her.

Kagami tried to pretend that it didn't hurt. Adrien said that he was trying to move on. She had to trust him. He had chosen her over Marinette, after all, and neither of them had made a move, yet. She really was lucky for such wonderful friends.

She didn't have many, after all.

"I'm so, so, so, sorry." Adrien apologized, taking her hands in his.

"Wha-?"

"Luka told me the truth about Lila. That she had threatened you. And I just told you to let it go! I'm such a terrible friend, I'm so sorry, Marinette. Please forgive me?"

"O-of course!" Marinette said, looking shocked at his confession.

"Oh, I'm so relieved!" He pressed a hand to his heart. "I can't believe that I-."

"Adrien. Stop." Marinette squeezed the hand that was still holding hers.

Kagami glanced at Luka, who was sporting an expression similar to what she thought her own was.

"You didn't know the full story and I know it was never your intent to hurt me."

"Of course not. I couldn't bear with the thought that I hurt you, Marinette." Adrien muttered, rubbing his finger along her hand.

"You didn't, okay? I promise you."

"Okay."

"Now," Marinette pulled her hand away from his. "What do I need to get on board with?"

"Oh hey guys!" On cue, Alya and Nino walked into the dining hall, hands intertwined.

Luka, Kagami, and Adrien exchanged looks.

"Let's meet at the fencing area Adrien showed us." Kagami said, realizing only the four of them knew about Lila. "After breakfast. We'll explain everything then."

"Okay?" Marinette asked, shooting Luka an odd look.

"Sorry for being late, guys." Alya said, at the end of the table.

"We got lost." Nino said, sitting down on the other end.

"Lost, huh? Even though the path should have plenty of signs pointing you in the right direction?" Adrien asked skeptically.

"Yep!" Alya claimed.

Kagami gave them a doubtful look. They seemed to be the type of couple who liked to sneak off to have some alone time together. Not that she could blame them, being in love was a wonderful thing. Having that love be requited was bound to be even more wonderful. She may have never experienced it herself, but Kagami couldn't wait until she could experience it with Adrien.

"Sure you did. You know, next time you two want to go and do your lovesick couple stuff, just let us know. I promise we won't be offended." Marinette rolled her eyes.

"We weren't!" Nino claimed, but his reddened cheeks gave him away.

"Sure, and I'm Ladybug." Luka said.

"No way! Really? You owe me so many interviews!" Alya said, pulling out her phone.

The table was silent for a few seconds before they burst into laughter.

Friendship, Kagami found, was a wonderful thing to experience as well. 

* * *

"Okay. Why did you want to meet me here?" Marinette asked.

"Well, we were all talking at breakfast about Lila." Luka started.

"And we realized that we had to do something about her. I mean, she got you expelled!" Adrien continued.

"Plus, she has manipulated your entire class and Adrien's father and has put you both in tight situations that have made you uncomfortable." Kagami shook her head. "I cannot stand for that."

"So we were thinking that maybe we could take Lila down while we're here." Luka said.

"I'm done standing to the sidelines. I may not be able to do much because of her reputation with my father, but I want to be able to help in any way that I can."

"Plus, there's four of us. I'm sure if we all worked together we can come up with an unbeatable plan." Kagami nodded.

"You guys... you really mean it?" Marinette asked, her eyes shining.

"Of course, Mari." Adrien told her.

"We care about you and we want to help."

"But why now?" She asked.

"Well, I never had an opportunity to expose her. I thought I would never have to come into contact with her again." Kagami said.

"Same with me. I didn't know her personally and so I couldn't really do anything except listen."

"You helped more than you know, Luka." Marinette gave him a sweet smile.

Kagami glanced at Adrien, and tried not to let the frown on his face bug her. Was he jealous? No, she was probably just overreacting.

"I just missed my opportunity. As soon as she had gotten you expelled I knew that I needed to do something, but my father..." Adrien shook his head. "Anyway, that's not a good reason to be quiet but, I knew that if I was going to take her down I needed help."

"And we already know that they wouldn't believe me so..." Marinette muttered.

"But now I've got the help we need, Marinette. We're going to get her, okay? I promise." Adrien walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Adrien."

"She won't get away with this." Kagami said, walking over to Marinette and giving her a side-hug.

"Thank you. All of you." She said looking around.

"Of course, Mari." Luka said, giving her a wide smile.

Kagami could feel a smile grow on her face as well.

"Plus, the satisfaction of seeing the look on everyone's faces when we expose her..." Adrien rubbed his hands together as an almost devious smile appeared on his face.

"Y-yeah. That'll b-be fantastic!" Marinette gave him a nervous look.

"So, how exactly do we want to do this?" Kagami asked.

"Here, I brought some paper to start brainstorming." Adrien pulled out a piece of paper and sat down.

"Well, is there a certain lie that we can point out?" Kagami asked, sitting down next to him.

"Well, not exactly." Marinette sat down as well. "The lie that she used to pull me back into school was that she had this lying disease that made her not be able to control what she was saying."

"Seriously? That's messed up. Does she not understand how hard the lives of those people can be?" Luka scoffed and sat down.

"I know, but she's cunning enough that she's managed to never get caught."

"Well, that type of illness should be on her record, right?" Kagami asked.

"Her record?" Adrien asked.

"Oh you innocent home-schooled boy." Marinette shook her head, but she was smiling. "Your record is something every student has. It has information about any illnesses you have that may affect your school life, any expulsions or suspensions, etc."

"But shouldn't her arthritis and tinnitus and other diseases be on her record? Assuming that they're real." Adrien asked.

"She probably came up with the excuse that they weren't serious enough to be put on there. But a lying disease? That should definitely be on there." Marinette frowned.

"So why hasn't she been found out yet? Shouldn't your principal have checked the record?" Luka asked.

"He's very gullible." Marinette muttered. "It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't bother to check."

"What if we got him to check?" Kagami asked.

"How?" Adrien asked.

"Well, Marinette, you said earlier that if we exposed any lie Lila had she would blame it on her disease right?" Kagami said.

A plan was slowly forming in her mind, all of the puzzle pieces suddenly clicking together. It would be risky and Kagami wasn't sure if it would even work, but if it did.

"Right."

"Well, what if we got her to admit to that? Then, and this is the hard part, Luka and I would have to act sympathetic towards her."

"But-."

"Because then we could go to the principal." Kagami continued, ignoring Luka. She didn't like the thought of getting along with Lila either, but that was the only way they could pull this off. "We could pretend that we were worried about her, maybe add in how she's been studying every day with Adrien and still haven't caught up."

"Plus, it's been adding more to my already busy schedule and I'm sure my father wouldn't like it if my grades slipped." Adrien said, catching onto what Kagami was thinking.

Just another reason they were made for each other! They could communicate without words, both of their minds following a similar path. If only he could see that. But she would wait, it would be worth the wait, anyway.

"So, because our two friends have been having some problems, it would be better for Lila to be put in a class that was more suitable for her."

"A class that would help her learn the information and for it to stick, even with her supposed illness." Luka grinned.

"And when M. Damocles checks her record, he'll see that there's no illness and that she was lying." Marinette smiled for split second before it dropped.

"What's wrong?" Kagami asked.

"Well the thing is, just because she'll be exposed for her disease, doesn't mean that she'll be exposed for the rest of her lies."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Luka said, grinning. "After all, exposing that she was lying about her connections and whatnot will lead to her fake illness being exposed."

"So we'll get rid of her excuse and everyone will see that she was lying about everything!" Adrien finished, his eyes shining in a way that was just handsome.

Kagami loved it when he was happy about something. She knew that he had a harsh upbringing, like her own, so getting to see the one that she loved happy made her heart feel full.

Marinette frowned, obviously not convinced.

"Please, Marinette?" Kagami asked. "It's worth a shot, isn't it? I mean, what's the worst that could happen? One way or another, doubt will be added to whatever she says."

"Yeah! I've had enough of her hurting my friends." Adrien said, determined.

"And we'll be there with you every step of the way." Luka said, grabbing her hand and intertwining it with his.

Marinette took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. After a few moments of tense silence, she opened them.

"Okay. Let's do this. Lila Rossi is going down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this book was supposed to be about an island competition!!! Where did this Lila take down come from?
> 
> Also I think now is a good time to say that comments that have unnecessary hate in them will be deleted. Let's try and keep things positive!


	20. Day Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our main six spend some time at the beach together and then go to the rec room to beat each other mercilessly in video games.

As soon as Alya stepped into the dinning room, she could tell that something was different. Her journalism intuition was tingling as it usually did when there was a scoop to be had.

She looked around the dining room and spotted Luka, Kagami, Adrien, and Marinette huddled together, whispering about something. She wondered what they could be talking about. Could something have happened yesterday?

"Good morning, babe." Nino said, coming up to her and pecking her on the cheek.

"Good morning, Nino." Alya muttered, her eyes still trained on her friends.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Nothing." Alya shook her head. She was probably reading too much into things.

"Alright, if you say so." Nino threw his arm around her and they walked over to the table.

"Good morning, you two." Kagami greeted them.

"Did you sleep well?" Kagami asked.

"Like a baby." Nino yawned and sat down.

"I could tell. You were still sleeping away when Adrien and I left." Luka said.

"You're as bad as Mari, aren't you?" Alya chuckled.

"No! But give me a break, I'm still suffering from jet lag. I don't understand how you aren't." Nino shook his head.

"Well, I used to go traveling with my mother a lot. With her being a famous chef she got jobs all over and would take me with her." Alya smiled. "So I'm used to harsh time zone switches." 

"Lucky." Marinette muttered. "I'm still way too tired."

"You can always nap if it gets to be too much." Adrien suggested. "I know a few places around the island that are really relaxing."

"Ah, um, maybe later." Marinette said awkwardly, blushing.

Alya tried hard not to shake her head. She knew she had gotten lucky with her love life. Things with Nino were steady and they communicated well. However, her best friend seemed to get the short end of the stick. She was crushing on a boy who was incredibly oblivious, but obviously in love with her. Meanwhile another boy was head over heels for her and was waiting for her to move on. Or maybe she didn't get the short end of the stick. 

"Okay! Just let me know." Adrien said happily.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Nino asked.

"Well, I was thinking that we could go down to the beach and swim after breakfast." Kagami suggested.

"More swimming?" Luka asked.

"We have some of the best beaches at our use at any time! I would rather take advantage of it before we have to leave." Kagami explained.

"She has a point." Adrien said. "But, if you're getting tired of swimming, we can always go to the rec room and play games there."

"We haven't been there yet, but I think we should save that for when we can't swim." Alya said.

"Like if it's raining or if the waves are bad?" Marinette asked.

"Exactly. When we can't go and swim, we can go and get our butts kicked by Marinette and Adrien in fighter games." Alya said.

"But when it comes to Dance Dance Revolution, Alya and I are supreme." Nino teased, winking.

"Gotta agree with you there, babe."

"Okay, so how about this," Luka started to say. "After breakfast, we can head down to the beach and swim for a bit, then afterwards we can head to the rec room. Sounds good?"

Everyone agreed and they all settled in to eat breakfast. 

* * *

"No, Adrien! Don't you dare!" Marinette cried as Adrien smirked, forming a small wave in his hands. "Adri-GAH!" He splashed Marinette.

"Oops." He said in a voice that proved he wasn't feeling remorseful one bit.

"Oh you are so going to pay for that!" Marinette shrieked.

Alya chuckled as she watched them squabble from her towel.

"Are you going to join us?" She looked over to see Nino.

"Hmm, maybe. I want to get a tan first though." She said, leaning back.

"I will forever be jealous of the fact that you tan instead of burn." Nino said, spreading out his own towel next to hers.

"Thank my genetics, babe." She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth of the sun.

"Hey, you two! What do you want from the snack bar?" Luka asked them, jogging over.

"Luka and I are going to be grabbing drinks and food for everyone." Kagami said, following him behind.

Now, that was something unexpected. Alya hadn't seen the Kagami and Luka friendship until it was standing right in front of her. She was thankful for it, though. Now, it wouldn't be so awkward when the six of them all hung out together.

"Didn't we all eat breakfast like, an hour ago?" Alya asked.

"You burn a lot of calories when you swim." Nino said, stretching. "Just get me one of those berry smoothies and a granola bar." He said.

"I'll take a smoothie too. Thanks, you two."

"Not a problem, Alya. Ready?" Luka turned to Kagami.

"Definitely. Also, I was listening to this one band yesterday, I think you might really like them...." Luka and Kagami walked off chatting.

"How's that tan coming along?" Marinette called, walking out of the water.

"It's coming along great!" Alya called back. "You two getting out?"

Marinette looked back to see Adrien tailing her.

"Yeah! I thought since Luka and Kagami are getting us stuff it would be wise." Adrien said, getting out and walking over to his towel.

"S-same." Marinette choked out.

Alya snorted quietly. The first time Mari had seen Adrien in a suit, Alya had to witness her brain cells dying and panicking for five minutes straight.

"I can't believe how wonderful the weather has been." Alya sighed.

"Me neither. It's been a blast!" Nino said.

"The weather is usually this nice when we came for Christmas." Adrien said. "It's always nice to get away from the cold." 

"I agree. This is absolutely paradise." Marinette sighed.

"Here, everyone." Luka and Kagami had returned, their arms full.

"We've got the snacks!" Kagami said with a smile.

"Back already?" Adrien asked, obviously surprised.

"Yep! The line wasn't very long." Luka said, handing him his snacks. 

"Yep! The line wasn't very long." Luka said, handing him his snacks.

"Cool." Adrien said, opening his bag of chips.

"So, the first competition is on Wednesday." Kagami said. "What do you think it's going to be about?"

"I don't know. My father has kept it pretty tight-lipped."

"Knowing M. Agreste, I wonder if it will be something fashion themed." Nino said.

"I certainly hope so! It would be a dream come true to get to show of my designs to the one and only M. Agreste!"

"Mari, haven't you won a few competitions?" Alya asked.

"Well, yeah, but the more I can show him the better, you know? If I want to work for him one day, I should show him what I'm capable of."

"Is that what you're planning?" Luka asked.

"Yep! I would like to get an internship at Gabriel first and then slowly move up. When I have a good enough reputation in the fashion world, I'll quit my job there and start my own boutique." Marinette said, a sparkle in her eye as she dreamed of the future.

"Really? But I thought that working for my father was your dream! Why would you quit if you got in?"

"Because I've seen how he treats you, Adrien. He's a great fashion designer, don't get me wrong, but if he treats all his workers the way he treats you," Marinette shook her head. "There's no way I'd want to support him any longer than I can."

"Well, when you open up your boutique, just know that you can ask me to model any time."

"Really?"

"Sure thing! I'm always here to help out a friend."

Alya tried hard not to react when Marinette's eye twitched at the word 'friend.' What was she going to go with those two?

"Thanks, Adrien." Marinette finally said. 

"Alright, everyone, I don't care what you say." Nino said, bunching up his granola bar trash and putting it in his bag. "We came here to swim, so we're all going to swim. That includes you, Alya." 

"Ugh, fine." Alya playfully groaned and allowed herself to be dragged out into the water by Nino.

The ocean was surprisingly warm. It was still colder than the sand, but it wasn't so cold that she was freezing. They really were in a tropical paradise.

Alya sighed and leaned back after swimming a little further from the beach. This truly was the life. The sun shining on her face, the cool water around her, the echoes of her friends playing in the background. She could've stayed that way forever.

Unfortunately, that was not so.

"Nino!" Alya scolded as a wave hit her right in the face.

"Sorry not sorry, babe!" Nino laughed. "It was too good of an opportunity not to take."

"You're so going to pay for that!" She yelled.

"Oh yeah? Come and get me!" Nino teased.

Growling, Alya started to swim after her laughing boyfriend, ready to incite her revenge.

Yeah, this truly was the life. 

* * *

"Alright, what game shall we play first?" Adrien asked after leading them to the rec room.

"It doesn't matter to me." Alya shrugged. "As long as we get around to playing DDR, I'm fine with anything."

"Mario Kart!" Marinette squealed, running over to where the game was set up. "Can we play this first? Do you have enough remotes for everyone?"

"Yes and yes, but we'll have to connect two of us wirelessly so all six of us can play the same game." Adrien said.

"Sweet!" Marinette cheered. "I call the red remote." She said.

"Is that because you want to be player one?" Luka smirked, taking the blue remote for himself.

"Maybe, maybe not." Marinette grinned.

"Well, Nino and I can be the two wireless people." Alya volunteered, grabbing the orange and green remotes for them.

"Okay, let me show you how to set it up." Adrien said, moving over to them. 

Soon, the six of them were racing along Rainbow Road together.

"No! How dare you Luka?" Kagami screeched as Luka hit her with a red shell, moving up to third place.

Marinette was in first, of course, with Adrien in second. Alya was fifth and she had to wonder if being Carapace made Nino attract more shells, because he was dwindling behind in eighth.

"Marinette, I'm coming for you." Adrien vowed.

"Ha! Not likely, Agreste." She said through gritted teeth.

"I'm going to get you." He sang.

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will."

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will."

"There's no wa-ADRIEN AGRESTE HOW DARE YOU!" Marinette yelled as Adrien threw a blue shell at her. It made her blow up and allowed Adrien to take the lead.

"Haha! That's what you get when you get cocky." He turned to stick his tongue out at Mari.

"Not fair."

"You better watch out, Kagami." Alya taunted, readying her red shell. 

"Alya, you wouldn't dare."

"Oh," She threw the shell. "I would." She smirked as it hit its target and Alya rushed into fourth place.

"There is no way I'm coming in fifth." Kagami said, gritting her teeth.

"Don't worry, Kagami, we still have two more races after this." Luka said, steering to avoid a well-placed banana. "Besides, you're doing great for a first timer!"

"Ah, thanks Luka."

"Of course! That being said, there are no friends in Mario Kart." He said and threw a blue shell so it would eventually hit Adrien.

"Aw, what?" Adrien yelled. "Come on, Yoshi! Don't you dare let Daisy pass you!"

"Hehehe." Marinette laughed and passed Adrien.

"Noooo! Yoshi, how can you betray me like this?" He sniffled. "My pride may never recover."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Marinette muttered. "Now, I'm back in the lead where I belong." She said in a louder voice.

"You won't be there for long." Adrien sang.

"Maybe, maybe not." Marinette said, her eyes trained on the screen.

That was one good thing about video games, Marinette was nowhere near as nervous around Adrien as she would be without them. Her competitiveness apparently outweighed her crush by a lot.

"I'm on the third laaaap." Marinette taunted happily.

"So am IIII." Adrien said in the exact same tone of voice.

"Hey, me too!" Luka spoke up a second later.

"Me, three!" Alya said.

"Me four!" Kagami cheered. "Alya, you have it coming."

"We'll see about that." Alya said as she got a powerup. It was a red shell. Perfect, it was just what she needed to bump Luka out of his spot. "Haha!"

"Alya!" Luka groaned. "Third was nice while it lasted." He sighed. 

"That's what you get when you let your heart win." Alya sang.

"Woah! I drowned out all my sense with the sound of its beating!" Marinette sang.

"And that's what you get when you let your heart win." The two girls chorused.

"What song was that?" Kagami asked.

"You don't know Paramore?" Alya let out a scandalized gasp.

"Until a few weeks ago, I didn't even know Taylor Swift." Kagami reminded her.

"Oh, that's right. We have to continue our music binge."

"And Kagami, Marinette, and I still have to watch Mulan." Adrien realized.

"What?" Marinette asked, turning to her head for a split second. "Oh, right." She quickly shook it off, however, Alya guessed that she would be screaming in a pillow about it later that night.

"We can do that sometime while we're here." Adrien said.

"Sounds fun." Kagami said. "I'm always ready to spend time with good friends." She smiled.

Alya was glad that the situation with Adrien didn't seem to affect their dynamic too much. It was too often she had seen good friends grow distant because of trivial reasons like a boy.

"Me too. We can totally- haha! I win! Marinette style boo-yah!" She cheered, standing up and doing her patented happy dance. 

"Good game, Marinette." Adrien's Yoshi crossed the finish line and he held out his hand.

"Good game, Adrien."

"Alright! I'm in third."

"Fourth." Luka chimed in.

"I came in a close fifth. I had the shell in my hand." Kagami complained.

"I came in ninth. I really do suck at this game." Nino shook his head. "I'm an absolute magnet for turtle shells."

"I wonder why." Alya mused, sending a wink in his direction when the others were distracted.

Nino gave her a secret smile in return.

"Shall we do another round or a different game?" Kagami asked.

"I'm good with whatever." Marinette said.

"Different game, please." Nino pleaded.

"Oh, alright, what game do you want to play, Nino?" Adrien asked. 

"Prepare to lose." He smirked and grabbed Alya's hand, leading the two of them over to the DDR machine.

"You sound confident." Luka said.

"That's because Nino and I are DDR champions." Alya bragged. "So far, neither Adrien nor Marinette have been able to beat us."

"Ooo. You mean I could win at a game that Marinette hasn't won yet?" Kagami asked, a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Yep!" Nino said happily.

"In that case, game on." 


End file.
